PALESTINIAN POSTCARDS. 79 postcards of artwork by Palestinian artists. Jerusalem: Iben Rushd, [1980-1985].

A large collection of postcards by important late 20th-century Palestinian artists.

These postcards were published by the Iben Rushd Publishing Company before the first Intifada, and show two disparate themes in Palestinian art, the depiction of the Palestinian Arab as a victim, and the Palestinian Arab enriched by their heritage and ties to the land. A number of the artists in the collection paint both themes, quite often switching between two distinctive styles of symbolism and naturalism. The collection comprises the following:

DWIEK, Taleb (b. 1952). 8 postcards: ‘Ansar III,’ ‘Suffering,’ ‘Jericho,’ ‘Wad. Street, Jersualem,’ ‘Suffering & Hope,’ God Blessed Victory,’ 'Palestinian Village’ and ‘From Heritage.’

ANANI, Nabil (b. 1943). 13 postcards: ‘Al-Janiah,’ Every Maiden in the Village is Waiting,’ Ras Karkar,’ Deir Bzaa,’ ‘Lebanon,’ ‘A Villager,’ ‘Palestinian Village,’ ‘Folk Designs’ which is accompanied by another postcard of a detail of the same picture, ‘Prisoner’s Day’ and two others.

CHAPIN / COPIN / GHAPIN, Fathy. 13 postcards: ‘To Freedom,’ 2 entitled ‘Palistin [sic] Folk Designs’ but different pictures, 2 entitled ‘From My Country’ but different pictures, ‘Palestinian Village,’ 2 entitled ‘From Heritage’ but different pictures, 2 entitled ‘Folk Designs’ but different pictures, and another 3 entitled ‘Folk Designs’ of which one is the whole picture (different from those previously mentioned with similar titles) and accompanied by 2 others showing details of same. (One card ‘Palestinian Village’ creased, other rubbed at extremities).

HILLIS, Isam. 4 postcards: ‘From the culture,’ Thirst for freedom’ (soiled on verso), and two variants of the same image entitled ‘Fate’.

ZOBIDY, Adnan. One postcard entitled: ‘Naji El-Ali Must Survive’.

AL ATRASH, Salah. 6 postcards: ‘Word,’ Damascuse [sic] Gate,’ ‘Jerusalem,’ two entitled ‘Palestinian village’ but are distinctly different images, ‘The Law’ dated 1984.

TARSHH, Aiman. One postcard: ‘Dreams of Peace’.

ALMUGHANNY / MOGHANI, Kamel. 8 postcards: ‘West Bank,’ ‘The People & Land,’ ‘Tal Alzaa’tar,’ ‘Prisoner’s Day,’ and four others, two dated 1980 and one 1984.

NAKFORY, Majfd. 3 postcards: ‘Aqabat Darwish Jerusalem,’ ‘The Dome of the Rock’ dated 17/9/1983, ‘Remains of a destroyed village.’

SHARAF, Tayseer. 3 postcards: ‘Miniatures of Jerusalem’ dated 1982, ‘Jerusalem up on the hands,’ ‘Jerusalem Heritage.’

MANSOUR, Suliman (b. 1947). 10 postcards: ‘Deir Bzee,’ ‘Al Tireh’ dated 5/2/1982, ‘Al Janiah’ dated 13/4/1981, The Musician,’ Sachnin Village,’ Bread of Tabbon,’ Beit Sira Village’ dated ?25/4/1981, ‘Children at Jerusalem,’ ‘Turmusayah Village’ dated 1981

BADER, Isam. 2 postcards: ‘The Journey,’ and ‘Folk designs’.

EBEEDO, Issa. One postcard: ‘Prison.’

TAMARI, Vira. 2 postcards: ‘Two birds,’ and Court yard in Al-Bireh.’

NAMMARI, Rehab. One postcard entitled: ‘I’ll get there.’

Sold with 3 others similar.

‘The postcards of these artists’ works are very important to an understanding of the evolutionary presentation of the Palestinian self’ (Semmerling, p.62).

Literature:

Tim Jon Semmerling. Israeli and Palestinian Postcards: presentations of national self. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2004.

λ Please see our Conditions of Sale for definitions of cataloguing symbols.