By Sheikha Al-Loughani
KUWAIT, Feb 4 (KUNA) -- "To all who don the "Mahoud", you have kept me awake while others slumbered, after this calm comes anxiety." Those were the words serenaded by Gulf and Kuwaiti voices, in description of a garment worn by brides on their wedding.
"Almahoud" is a type of head garment, hand-made for the fairer sex to wear on their wedding, an occasion marked by sheer jubilance, where entire neighborhoods worked tirelessly to ensure that this joyous day would go on without a glitch. As customs would have it, the engagement, a process no less significant than the wedding itself, is organized by the groom's family.
Kuwaiti brides were renowned for their utter beauty, clad in glittering apparel made from the most superior fabrics, in addition to jewelry including rings and bracelets. Then, a bride would not feel complete without the ever conspicuous "Almahoud." "Almahoud", which is typically worn as a piece that draped over the head, was distinct for its sentimental value, as famed poet Abdullah Al-Hatem had glorified the garment in one of his poems.
In an attempt to obtain the minutia behind what had once been a staple of Kuwaiti weddings, KUNA interviewed Riyadh Mohammad Al-Baghli, whose family have long toiled in the tailor industry.
"Almahoud", Al-Baghli described, was a black fabric sewn using golden and silver stitches, made from silk. The tailoring process, as it relates to the "Almahoud", would actually differ depending on the season, he noted.
As for the price of these beloved garments, Al-Baghli said that they were typically purchased for 150 to 200 Rubiya, Kuwait's pre-independence currency, an amount afforded by only the most affluent, he pointed.
Al-Mahoud was a prominent feature of Kuwaiti weddings well into the early 1950s, only to fade away with the passing of time. Sadu house, a historic art museum in Kuwait city, is said to be the only place with remnants of what had once been an emblem of Kuwaiti pride. (end) sal.nam