Wilfred F Southall, a prominent Birmingham pharmacist, businessman and Quaker was a great collector of Palestinian costume. His collection was donated to Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, in 1985. Palestine is part of the eastern Arab countries and shares borders with Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.This early 20th century men's cloak or abayeh consists of two pieces of hand-woven coarse wool, in black and cream, sewn together horizontally at approximately the hipline. The neck and opening of the chest are decorated with embroidered in silk in red, green and yellow. The abayeh was worn by hill villagers and Bedouins on top of the outer garments, such as the qumbaz. Apart from protecting a person against cold and rain, it could also be used as a blanket at night, a prayer rug, a means of carrying goods to market, or even a small tent when working the fields. The abayeh is found throughout much of the Arab world, worn by both sexes and all manner of folk, although styles and materials differ from place to place.