The Tatreez Institute Object Donations

About

The Tatreez Institute accepts traditional dress and embroidery donations for preservation, documentation and research purposes. Geographies of primary interest are of cultures found across Southwest Asia and North Africa, primarily Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt. Ghnaim is also interested in accessories, jewelries, beads, glass, ceramics, paper goods, souvenirs, and most especially headdresses and veils.

The Institute has not and will not ever sell donations. Dress donations, if accepted into the collection, are considered to be culturally and historically valuable, preserved for research and educational purposes only. Under certain circumstances, the dresses may be stewarded to the appropriate cultural institution and in collaboration with the donor. If you have traditional dresses that are not from the region and you need support in identifying the appropriate cultural institution to accept the donation, please contact Wafa at wafa@tatreezandtea.com.

Impact

As of the end of 2025, Ghnaim has authored 17 academic publications, journal articles, exhibition catalogues, and professional essays grounded in research from the Tatreez Institute Collection. Numerous additional publications by other scholars citing and engaging with the collection are currently in press or in development. The collection has also been presented through two exhibitions of Tatreez Inheritance at the Museum of the Palestinian People (2023) and Making Space Bmore (2025).

By December 31, 2025, the Tatreez Institute Collection comprises 266 objects, including 46 accessories, 86 traditional dresses, 2 dolls, 23 fragments, 14 headdresses and veils, 4 overcoat dresses, and 68 paper goods. Regional representation reflects the eastern Mediterranean, with approximately 70 percent Palestinian material, 10 percent Syrian, and 10 percent Lebanese, alongside selected embroideries from Egypt and Jordan. While the Institute continues to accept donations, Ghnaim ceased purchasing objects after October 7, 2023 in response to increasingly exploitative practices within the antiquities market that dramatically inflated the monetary value of Palestinian material.

The Institute expresses deep gratitude to the individuals who have entrusted Ghnaim with objects and their accompanying histories. Meticulous records are maintained for each donation, and ongoing efforts are made to secure publication outlets and research funding that support the study, dissemination, and broader accessibility of the collection. The collection also serves as an active site of inquiry, informing collaborative study sessions with Palestinian and Syrian elders and supporting technical analysis conducted in scientific laboratories as part of Ghnaim’s continuing research.

How to Donate

If you are interested in donating embroidery, please fill out the form below. You may send images to Wafa at wafa@tatreezandtea.com.

Requests to donate to the Institute are determined based on a number of ethical determinants, such as bandwidth, conservation needs, storage capacity, and more.