Role of Iranian Traditional Needlework in People's Social and Family Life: A Study of Pateh Embroidery in Kerman

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of Iranian traditional needlework in people's family and social life with an emphasis on the art of Pateh embroidery. In this article, the history of textile industry, the history of clothes, different sewing styles and how they have been influenced by each other, are studied. According to the "History of Iranian Textile Industry", a book written by Mehdi Beheshtipour, textile industry in Iran dates back to 7000 years ago.Tabari book of history states that this industry goes back to 4000 years ago. Excavations in Shoosh show that burlap weaving, silk weaving and embroidery were forms of art at the time of JamsheedPishdadi. Herodotus says that Xerxes wore embroidered clothes. Marco Polo refers to the art of Kerman's Pateh embroidery in his travelogue. Qajar era is called the renaissance of Iranian needlework. Different styles of needlework have been investigated in previous practical studies with reference to the regionswhere they are common and how they are used. Pateh embroidery is considered as a traditional art in Kerman. This form of needlework has been paid attention to since 1906 from economic, social and cultural perspectives and studied as a profession that can meet people's financial and aesthetic needs.