Labbadeh

The Labbadeh (Arabic: اللبادة, lit. '"beaten" referring to the felting process in which it is made'),^[1] also spelled as Lebbadeh, Lubbaddah, Labbade or Labbada is a conical brimless felt cap traditionally worn by Lebanese men.

It is made from sheep's wool and is usually combined with a black scarf during work and with a white silk scarf for celebratory, leisure and formal events.^[1] It is sometimes also given an agal at the top for stability.

The origin of the labbadeh goes back to ancient times, depictions of it were found in Byblos, Kamid al-Lawz, Aleppo and Tel Michal.^[2]

The fashion persisted into medieval times among the Maronites of Northern Mount Lebanon,^[3] where it was especially useful for its natural water-resistance against rain and providing warmth during the cold winters of the mountain. The labbadeh survived into the modern era still being used by some villagers as well as becoming a national symbol of Lebanon as a part of the traditional folk costume of the country.^[4]

Etymology

The word labbadeh comes from the Lebanese word libada which translates to "beat" or "beaten" and is a reference to the beating of wool in the process of making a labbade.^[1]

Process

The making of the labbadeh is a hand-made felting process. First, the wool threads must be finely separated from one another before being saturated with soap and water. Then, the wool threads are mixed together again and beaten until they solidify into a labbade. The finished product is then soaked with water and put out to dry.^[1]

Gallery

• 
  Byblos figurines showing some of the oldest depictions of the labbadeh
• 
  Temple of Hadad within the Citadel of Aleppo with an engraving of two men wearing ornate forms of the labbadeh
• 
  Statuette of a deity wearing a labbadeh, found in Tel Michal
• 
  Roman-era funerary monument found in Qartaba depicting a priest known as Germanus wearing a labbadeh, c. 120-160 A.D.
• 
  Evolution of the labbadeh throughout time
• 
  Two Lebanese village boys watching the sunrise. The boy sitting is wearing a labbadeh while the boy standing has on a tarboosh, c. 1920s
• 
  Peasant from Btalloun wearing typical mountain headdress. Oil on canvas by Khalil Saleeby, 1926
• 
  The Oil Seller. Oil on canvas by Moustafa Farroukh, 1934
• 
  A Peasant from the Bekaa. Watercolor paint by Moustafa Farroukh, 1937
• 
  Portrait of a Lebanese villager. Oil on plywood by Moustafa Farroukh, 1939
• 
  Portrait of a muleteer. Oil on canvas by Moustafa Farroukh, 1946
• 
  Conversation by Saliba Douaihy
• 
  Uncommon example of a woman wearing a labbadeh, 1873
• 
  Brazilian football star Pelé wearing a labbadeh during a visit to Lebanon, 1975
• 
  Phoenician traders on the coast of Britain by Frederic Leighton

See also

• Qeleshe, similar headdress of Albanian origin
• Pileus
• Baalbeck International Festival
• Tantour, traditional Lebanese women's headdress

References

External links

"تعرفوا الى ابن حراجل يوسف عقيقي صانع اللبادة رمز الرجولة!". youtube.com. Future TV. 20 Feb 2016.

"يوم جديد: نوستالجيا .. اللبادة اللبنانية". youtube.com. Alghad TV. 2 April 2016.

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