Kuwait preserves colorful craft of Sadu embroidery

(11 Jun 2023)
KUWAIT SADU WEAVING
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 3:47
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kuwait City - 4 June 2023
1. Rug made using traditional Sadu weaving
2. Women making Sadu embroidery
3. Various of women making Sadu embroidery
4. Ball decorated with patterns used in making Sadu rugs
5. Exterior of Sadu House
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shaimaa al-Amin, Sadu embroidery trainer:
"Sadu represents so much of Kuwait's heritage, it was the craft of the Bedouin women who were a major part of the Kuwaiti society and culture. So, it’s natural that we care about our heritage, document it and preserve it."
7. Chair with material made using Sadu embroidery
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shaimaa al-Amin, Sadu embroidery trainer:
"We are focusing on two areas including preserving the Sadu craft in its traditional way. Some of our products are even used in homes as furniture while others have more ornamental use in homes like the bedsheets and pillow covers. The other area is modifying the craft to use it in making more modern items like bags, folders and boxes. These are all modern day items that use Sadu to make."
9. Various of items at shop with materials made using Sadu embroidery
10. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shaimaa al-Amin, Sadu embroidery trainer:
"I thought it was just something that was needed in that old Bedouin way of living. But with time and as I learned and taught this craft, I discovered that it is an art and not just a need and the women who used to work in this craft had a heightened appreciation for beauty."
11. Hands weaving Sadu embroidery
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shaimaa al-Amin, Sadu embroidery trainer:
"The process of making Sadu is not so easy. We laid down some scientific foundations to make it easy. But it still needs organization, thinking, making choices over the colors being used, and deciding on how the threads will be woven."
13. Various of women learning Sadu craft
14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Reem al-Suwaidi, learner of Sadu craft:
"I came from the United Arab Emirates to Kuwait to learn the Sadu craft at the Sadu House because this craft is close to being extinct. And I want to learn it, so I can preserve it."
15. Women weaving Sadu embroidery
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Reem al-Suwaidi, learner of Sadu craft:
"I wanted to learn the art of Kuwaiti inscription accurately and intensively."
17. Women working on Sadu embroidery
18. Sadu products
STORYLINE:
The colorful threads that are masterfully incorporated into Sadu embroidery tell more than just a story about patterns and designs, they are also point to a heritage and traditional way of life in Kuwait.
There is a lot of work that goes into making the intricate and lively Sadu patterns that adorn furniture like rugs and chair fabrics.
One cultural center in Kuwait City, known as Sadu House, is helping keep traditional crafts alive including that of Sadu embroidery.
"Sadu represents so much of Kuwait's heritage," says Shaimaa al-Amin, a trainer who has been teaching at Sadu House for 20 years.
"It was the craft of the Bedouin women who were a major part of the Kuwaiti society and culture," she adds.
For al-Amin, it is important to preserve the craft in its traditional sense while also modernizing it and using it to decorate modern day items.
After spending years learning this craft and teaching others, al-Amin says she has realized that Sadu is in art.
"The women who used to work in this craft had a heightened appreciation for beauty," she adds.
AP video shot by Dani Noureddine
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