Historical Journalism

You’re standing alongside the canal, the air sharp with the chill of winter. Your breath forms clouds in the frigid air as you huddle deeper into your coat, anxiously awaiting the first flower merchant. The stakes are high; if you don’t secure a contract for bulbs today, your chances are gone. It’s Amsterdam in the winter of 1636, and tulips have become the fastest-selling and most expensive commodity in the world.

A Tulip’s Homeland

Tulips are famous among the Dutch today, who still have the largest tulip economy worldwide, with over two billion bulbs shipped internationally each year. Tulips also bring a rapid increase in tourism. In 2017, there were a record 1.4 million visitors to see the blooms. But tulips aren’t native to the Netherlands. 

The history of tulips is as colorful as the flowers themselves. The flowers made a long journey from the fields of Central Asia, first to Austria, then eventually as far as Holland. Tulips are native to Central Asia, predominantly in countries like Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and the Levant region. The Ottoman Empire presented Austria with the first bulbs brought to Europe. The shape of the flower, resembling the turbans worn by men in the Ottoman Empire, led to the derivation of its Latin name from the Turkish word for turban.

Travel to Holland

The vibrant colors of the petals and the unique shape of the flower itself charmed diplomats and wealthy merchants, making the flower popular. These enchanting flowers soon blossomed across the entire continent. Leiden University persuaded Dutch botanist Carolus Clusius to create a botanical garden for the college. In 1593, Clusius planted the first tulips in Holland. He also traded bulbs with friends and colleagues, the appeal for the brightly colored flower growing. The tulip quickly became a status symbol amongst the wealthy, who could show off their wealth with rare and expensive color combinations. 

The most expensive tulip bulb was the Semper Augustus, a red bulb with white tiger stripes. In fact, the multi-colored bulbs sold the most. They mainly resulted from random occurrences, but they could be cultivated from other tulips in the same family. The streaks made the plants appear more exotic, resulting in higher prices. This effect is caused by a tulip-specific mosaic virus, which also causes flower infertility. With demand for the flower up, prices rose as well, and soon tulips were being sold even before they bloomed. This created the world’s first forward market, in which goods were sold before they were available and exchanged hands through written contracts. The concept of a forward market was revolutionary. It allowed for merchants and buyers to buy and sell goods based on future prices, which was all speculative. This kind of trade was risky and led to an economic bubble that is still widely studied today as an example of the dangers of speculative investment.

The Tulip Bubble

In winter 1636-37, tulip prices spiked with these contracts, and tulip bulbs were going as high as 5,000 guilders per bulb, the equivalent of a grand house on the canal. This was a purely speculative market, and the first of its kind. A speculative market happens when consumers purchase a good, hoping its value will increase significantly. The dramatic rise and fall of tulip prices created a financial frenzy. People had mortgaged their homes, sold businesses, and even traded belongings in order to invest in tulip bulbs. During the market crash, many defaulted on loans. Buyers refused to honor their contracts, where they had originally promised 500 or 1,000 guilders for bulbs. This led to many florists and merchants losing out on their investments.

There wasn’t a major impact on widespread Dutch society, having really only affected the wealthy who could have afforded to get into the business, anyway. The tulip was a symbol of wealth. Because of this, the rich were the most significantly impacted, and a lot of them lost their fortunes. Outside of the tulip bubble, life in the Netherlands went on as normal, without the frenzied crowds of tulip buyers.

Tulips in Holland Today

Today, tulips make up a big part of Dutch culture. Every year when the tulips bloom, millions of tourists visit the tulip fields, and florists distribute these tulips all over the world. Despite the crash, tulips seem to be a lucrative business. There are massive flower festivals during the springtime, where the festivities serve as remembrance to the tulipmania of the seventeenth century. Tulips pop up everywhere in Dutch culture, from holiday activities to massive floats, showing the passion the Dutch have for the vibrant flower.

Besides their economic and cultural significance, tulips have inspired a wealth of artistic expression. Dutch artists of the Golden Age, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, often included tulips in their paintings. This legacy continues today, with tulips appearing in contemporary art, fashion, and design. Their imagery can be found in tourist shops and planted near the canals, inspiring artists from all over the world.

The impact of tulipmania can also be seen in modern financial markets. It is a widely studied phenomenon that provides a valuable insight into speculative bubbles for investors and economists. The frenzy and subsequent crash showcase the dangers of speculation and the importance of market regulation. Even though centuries have passed, the tulip bubble of 1637 remains an increasingly relevant part of history, reminding us of the complexities and risks of financial markets.

In conclusion, the story of the tulip is one of beauty, innovation, and resilience. From their origins in the mountains of Central Asia to their status as a cultural and economic icon in the Netherlands, tulips have captured the imagination of people around the world. As we look to a greener future, the tulip will undoubtedly continue to bloom brightly in gardens, markets, and hearts around the globe.

Palestinian embroidery, called tatreez in Arabic, has a long-standing history with the Palestinian people and their connection to the land of historical Palestine. Tatreez is an important symbol of Palestinian resilience and resistance to the ongoing Israeli occupation, and is common throughout Palestine and amongst its diaspora.

Tatreez has origins that dates back to the Canaanite era over 3,000 years ago, but it really began to be am identifiable part of Palestinian culture during the mid-1800s. It has been passed down by mothers through their daughters for generations, evolving over time from being a symbol of regional pride to a symbol of Palestinian nationalism.

The patterns and colors used on traditional dresses identified where the woman was from. Early inspiration came from landscapes around the villages, with mountains common in cities like Hebron, and palm trees common in Ramallah. Ramallah was also known for its use of a bright deep red color in its stitching. In Bethlehem, the star of Bethlehem was a common motif. These Levantine symbols were understood to function as matrilineal heritage but also represented trade routes and textile developments. Traditionally, unmarried women used blue thread, married women used red, and widowed women stitched over the red with blue thread. Cross-stitching is the most renowned form of Palestinian tatreez, but other common stitches include manajel (connecting stitch), tashreem (patchwork stitch), and jadleh (hemming stitch).

Because of the different symbols and patterns, tatreez represents the identity of Palestine and its people. Women came together and created places of community as they stitched in each other’s homes, often with their daughters. With limited transportation around parts of Palestine, each region had a distinct way of embroidering their clothing that represented this identity and community.

Women stitched embroidery onto traditional Palestinian dresses called thobes. The chest, sleeves, and cuffs were covered with embroidery, using cotton or silk thread. On special occasions, golden or silver threads were used to embroider intricate designs into their dresses. The designs and colors indicated the woman’s regional identity, as well as marital and economic status. Wedding dresses had layers upon layers of embroidered material woven with coral beads, and gold and silver coins.

After the Nakba in 1948, when 700,000 Palestinians were displaced by Zionist militias, tatreez became a symbol of Palestinian resilience and resistance. Women continued to wear their thobes as a statement of the existence of the villages that were inevitably destroyed or occupied by Israeli settlers. After 1948, the Palestinian flag could not be shown, so women began to weave it and its colors into their clothing. In refugee camps, a new style known as the New Dress emerged that reflected designs from all over Palestine, making a new kind of dress that was unmistakably Palestinian but from no identifiable region — simply Palestinian. Skills continue to be preserved and passed down from mothers to daughters, and organizations like the Thobe Project in the United States also educate and teach tatreez skills across the diaspora.

Palestinian embroidery plays a key role in the legacy of Palestine traditions that would otherwise have been lost in the diaspora. It represents a means of unifying Palestinians, as well as continues to show their resilience. Prior to the expulsion of almost three quarters of a million people, Palestine was a state full of life, culture, and traditions that continue to persist despite the goals of Zionism. Even down to their clothing, Palestinians have always had a deep connection to the land of their birthright.

Sources

Bayt Al Fann. (n.d.). The Art of Tatreez — Palestinian Embroidery. Retrieved January 21, 2024, from https://www.baytalfann.com/post/the-art-of-tatreez-palestinian-embroidery

Handmade Palestine. (2022, May 26). Traditional Embroidery: A Brief History of Palestinian Tatreez. Retrieved January 21, 2024, from https://handmadepalestine.com/blogs/news/tatreez

PalQuest. (n.d.). Palestinian Embroidery. Retrieved January 21, 2024, from https://www.palquest.org/en/highlight/14497/palestinian-embroidery

Tatreez Archive. (n.d.). Homepage. Retrieved January 21, 2024, from https://tatreezarchive.org/

UNESCO. (n.d.). The art of embroidery in Palestine, practices, skills, knowledge and rituals — intangible heritage — Culture Sector. Retrieved January 21, 2024, from https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/the-art-of-embroidery-