Amazigh tattoos in Morocco: symbols, life and identity

Amazigh tattoos in Morocco: symbols, life and identity

by | Cultures & People

Identity and future

Amazigh tattoos

Published July 3, 2025

Have you ever wondered how identity isn’t just expressed in words, but also lives in daily gestures, and is inscribed on skin? Among Amazigh women in Morocco, traditional tattoos are not mere decoration but a living visual language. Each mark—from spirals to crescents—speaks of resilience, protection, fertility, and the cycles of time. So, in this blog, I’d like to explore the world of permanent Amazigh tattoos, focusing on Morocco.

Amazigh tattoos and their meaning

What is the meaning behind Amazigh tattoos? Like I said, permanent Amazigh tattoos are far more than mere embellishments; you could say that they are a visual language. That language expresses the world of women, and what mattered most to them. You will find references to protection from evil [1], to healing and beauty [2], but also to fertility and family [3] – a theme often found in women’s lives throughout the region, as you will find in several other articles on this blog!

See how that works in an Omani pendant here

See how mermaids are feared because of that here

And there is more that relates to their everyday world: symbols such as the crescent moon, spirals and circles acknowledge the cycles of time [4], similar to the meaning of crescents and spirals in jewellery, as I explore in this blog here.

Vintage photo of an Amazigh woman with abundant jewellery and facial tattoos on her cheeks. This photo is part of a blog article on Amazigh tattoos on the Bedouin Silver Blog.

Amazigh tattoos and the stages of life

The thing with tattoos is that they not just carry symbolism, but they are active agents themselves. They are connected to the stages of life and the social roles a person moved through, especially for women. From childhood into adulthood, Amazigh women’s body art marked key transitions. The first facial tattoo, known as “siyala” – a vertical line from the lower lip to the chin – was commonly applied at the onset of menstruation, symbolizing the transition into womanhood. [5] These marks were more than personal adornment: they communicated that a young woman was now part of a different social category, with new responsibilities and expectations.

Marriage was often accompanied by additional Amazigh tattoo traditions. Designs on the chin, forehead, or hands could mark fertility, family bonds, and readiness for motherhood. You could say that tattoos served almost like a visible record of biography.

For example, a square could be added to the skin after marriage to symbolize a new home [6]. For widows, there was even a tattoo extending from ear to ear, symbolizing their deceased husband’s beard [7].

And tattoos displayed tribal allegiances, making it clear to anyone which tribe the wearer belonged to.

These patterns and their meaning vary from region to region, from tribe to tribe, and throughout time: what carries meaning in one time and place, may be simply a pretty decoration in another.

Amazigh tattooing as a process

You could say that the process of getting such a tattoo was a ritual in itself, helping the wearer with that transition into the next stage of life. The tattooing process was typically carried out by a middle-aged woman from the wearer’s community [8]. These sessions were not merely transactional; they created a form of time used for exchanging advice and news, but also to talk about the upcoming changes in the life of the person being tattooed.

This would be a moment for the person being tattooed and her immediate family to gather and talk about shared experiences and offering advice for this new stage of life.

Why are Amazigh tattoos disappearing?

Like the use of silver jewellery, the tradition of Amazigh tattooing has significantly declined in recent decades. Why is that? There are several factors at play here.

Like in many areas of North Africa and Southwest Asia, the rise of Islamism after the 1970s has been a major factor in the decline of tattooing. Tattooing is considered a sin, as it alters what God has created. With more and more people adopting this viewpoint, carrying tattoos was frowned upon, and the practice started to disappear as a result of social pressure.

Combined with that development, tattoos also began to be regarded as old-fashioned and backward. [9]

See more on henna art as World Heritage here!

How are Amazigh tattoos revived?

Despite this decline, notably within the Amazigh diaspora there are to revitalize the tradition. There are many fabulous projects like the Timazighin-initiative by Raissa Lei, which aims to to connect the new generation with the traditions embodied by their grandmothers through jewellery, dress and the wearing of tattoos. These are temporary, but serve let the wearer experience what it is like to appear in her full ancestral regalia.[10]

These revival efforts aim to make the “invisible more visible” by celebrating Amazigh identity and history through art. A spectacular example was the 2025 Awad Summit in Paris.

Amazigh scholars, such as Malika Ouacha, do raise awareness against an Orientalist glorification of Amazigh traditions, and wanting to read ‘meaning’ into everything: she notes that seeking deep meanings for Amazigh tattoos might be misplaced, as many Amazigh women simply found them beautiful, or used patterns from crafts like weaving as practical memory aids [11]. Especially among a Western audience, the need to clarify patterns is high: I’m often baffled to read what made-up explanations of meaning people attribute to lines and patterns in jewellery, and for tattoos it is no different – it’s important to realise that sometimes, a design is just chosen because the wearer liked its form or shape. Meaning, form and even size of patterns change and evolve constantly: body aesthetic is a living heritage.

Empowering women: Amazigh tattoos as cultural identity

For Amazigh women, dress, facial tattoos, and jewellery collectively form a living representation of their cultural identity and their history. That identity is also present in the patterns in carpets, pottery, dress, and the decoration of houses: they are all rooted in the same North African heritage.

By reclaiming and safeguarding these traditions, Amazigh women transform their crafts into a source of economic empowerment through initiatives like cooperatives and other ways to create an income [12].

That is yet a new layer of meaning to an ancient tradition, and one that will carry body aesthetic into the future!

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References

[1] H. Mesouani 2019. Inked Bodies, Blank Pages: A Study of Amazigh Tattooing. MA-thesis, Illinois State University, p. 34.

[2] Mesouani, 34.

[3] Mesouani, 36.

[4] https://www.lilithmag.nl/blog/2021/6/4/ade-traditie-en-schoonheid-van-amazigh-gezichtstatoeages-uitgelegd.

[5] https://www.lilithmag.nl/blog/2021/6/4/ade-traditie-en-schoonheid-van-amazigh-gezichtstatoeages-uitgelegd.

[6] Mesouani, 38.

[7] https://amazightimes.nl/de-verdwijnende-amazigh-traditie-van-gezichts-en-lichaams-tattoos/

[8] https://amazightimes.nl/de-verdwijnende-amazigh-traditie-van-gezichts-en-lichaams-tattoos/

[9] B. Laghssais 2023. Amazigh Feminism Narratives: Aspirations, Agency, and Empowerment of Amazigh Women in the Southeast of Morocco, PhD-thesis, Universitat Jaume I, p. 345 – 346. Download the full thesis here for free (yay for open access!)

[10] See more on Timazighin here!

[11] https://www.lilithmag.nl/blog/2021/6/4/ade-traditie-en-schoonheid-van-amazigh-gezichtstatoeages-uitgelegd

[12] Laghssais, p. 358 – 405.

See other sources here:

History of Amazigh tattoos

https://www.newarab.com/features/amazigh-tattoos-are-fading-it-too-late-revive-them

The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

Jewelry and Adornment of Libya

Jewelry and Adornment of Libya

by | Cultures & People, Reviews

Libyan jewellery in depth

Jewelry and Adornment of Libya

Published on November 8, 2024

Libya is home to spectacular jewellery, but very few books are currently available on the jewellery heritage of this country. That has now changed with the much-anticipated arrival of Jewelry and Adornment of Libya: a book that fills a huge gap – and in more ways than one!

Jewelry and Adornment of Libya: a personal view

The author of this book, Hala Ghellali, is from Libya herself: she was born and raised in Tripoli. This is where she first encountered silver jewellery as a young woman, when her father took her to the souq to purchase silver bracelets for her. Personal memories like this form the starting point of the book, but Hala’s background is much wider. You may have read her essay in the Postcard Women’s Imaginarium book, for example.

She was schooled in Tripoli, studied in France, and then moved to Italy, Egypt, Syria and finally, the USA. She is fascinated by Libyan history, both the tangible and the intangible (like poetry or proverbs), and has conducted research into jewellery and adornment for years.

What do you get when someone like that writes a book? A super rich, very detailed book that (at least for me) hits all the important nails on the head when it comes to jewellery research.

Jewelry and Adornment of Libya: the outline

Let me start with one of my hangups: references. You know I love references! Sharing one’s sources when making a claim is very helpful when one wants a book to contribute to common knowledge, and simply necessary when one wants to enable future research. Jewelry and Adornment of Libya is referenced, and here’s the beauty of it: it references sources in Arabic, Italian, French, and English, and provides clear references as to which silversmith shared which piece of information, anecdote or memory with the author. That is different for Libyan Jewellery – A Journey Through Symbols by Elena Schenone Alberini (1998) for example: this has a bibliography, but is not referenced.  

This kaleidoscope of sources results in a solid basis for the research in this book. Hala effortlessly combines observations from travel diaries with patent books, colonial legislation with oral history and poetry, museum pieces with personal memories. This variety brings you a book that is packed with facts and insights on the context of jewellery – absolutely crucial if we want to understand the jewellery itself.

The book is roughly structured in three main parts: the world of jewellery producers, the world of jewellery wearers, and wedding customs in Tripoli. So, let me take you on a quick tour!

Libyan jewellery: the silversmiths

The first three chapters of the book discuss the history of Libyan silversmithing. Here, the book differs notably from Schenone Alberini’s book: these chapters really dive in the history of jewellery production. First, a chapter on jewellery in archaeological excavations and travel diaries outlines the sources that exist for the history of jewellery in Libya. Interestingly, these also include reports by merchants, shedding light on the transactional context of jewellery: who buys and sells these things, and for how much?

Next is a chapter on the production of jewellery itself, both in its historic context as well as detailing techniques. The wealth of historic background is incredibly enlightening. Just one example is how we learn about the close relations between the Jewish silversmithing communities of both Tripoli and Djerba in Tunisia. As so often the case, colonial borders mess with transregional cultural identities: in the case of Tripoli and Djerba, these two communities became so closely entangled that much of the southern Tunisian jewellery was hallmarked in Tripoli. This chapter picks apart how political and economic developments affected both the Jewish and Muslim silver business over time.

I can’t emphasise enough how relevant this is – I see so many online sources and discussions on social media claiming that a piece of jewellery belongs to either this or that nationality, without consideration for the historical context, that it is nothing short of refreshing to see someone patiently walking us through the history of it all and presenting us with a nuanced, detailed view.

There is much more in this chapter: guild organisation, the various arts and crafts production centres, techniques and forms, terminology used by both Jewish and Muslim jewellery makers, all against their shifting historic and cultural backgrounds.

And then there is hallmarks! You know I adore my copy of World Hallmarks Volume II, the fabulous overview of hallmarks from non-Western countries. But Libya is missing from this overview. Schenone Alberini does present hallmarks and adds drawings of both hallmarks and amin stamps, but has difficulty organising the hallmarks chronologically – another gap sorted with Jewelry and Adornment of Libya. Here, we learn of the development of hallmarks throughout and after the Italian colonial period, the difference between hallmarks and master silversmith stamps, and the challenges in attempting to organise hallmarks diachronically.

Libyan jewellery: from head to toe

The book then continues with ten chapters devoted to jewellery itself. From head jewellery to waistcoat buttons to belts, anklets and slippers, in these pages you will find an abundance of jewellery – and its stories. Each piece of jewellery is presented with its vernacular name, there are poetry and song references throughout, and here again, everything is discussed in its historic timeframe. For many names, their linguistic origin is also given, which helps a lot in understanding what these names mean and why specifically they are chosen for a particular object.

These chapters are so rich in their descriptions that I don’t even know where to begin. Let me just say that when you read it all, you will get so much more than just jewellery. There are customs and practices, sayings and Qur’an citations, beliefs and glimpses into everyday life. And the photos! The entire book is lavishly illustrated, with images of private collections that have not been published before, but also with photos of how jewellery is actually worn.

As if that was not enough, the final chapter presents jewellery customs related to engagement and marriage in the city of Tripoli. Illustrated with vintage photos of actual wedding ceremonies, this essay brings us customs and habits that have since disappeared, and as such, this forms yet another important documentation of jewellery in its living, breathing context.

Libyan jewellery research: just in time

That sense of disappearing traditions is present throughout the book. In the epilogue, Hala shares the difficult road towards the publication of this book. For one, archives are not always accessible: in 2011, the political situation changed drastically, resulting in difficult times for those living and working in Libya. Another part of the challenges was the unescapable fact that the last generation of both wearers and silversmiths is disappearing rapidly. Who still remembers songs, customs, memories from before the Second World War? And even more relevant: who is willing to actually share these?

This is a challenge we see everywhere around the globe, and this book illustrates how important it is to incorporate this disappearing knowledge before there is no one left to ask. One of the things I really value is how this book pays it forward to future researchers by including an long list of Tripolitan silver- and goldsmiths in the appendix: we may not yet know when exactly they practised their craft, or what their makers’ mark looks like, but at least, this provides us with a starting point in preserving their names and their memory.

Glossary of jewellery terms

There is even more to this book, I’m not done yet. For me, one of the highlights is the glossary of jewellery terms in Arabic at the end of the book. For those of us who do not master Arabic, these four pages with terminology for everything from earrings to anklets are a major asset. You remember that e-book with jewellery search terms in 7 languages I created to help you expand your online search results? This glossary is a big help with the Arabic terms – do note that it is Libyan Arabic, so regionally spoken, but it is very insightful nonetheless.

So far, you’ll have noticed that I’m gushing. Is there no comment to be made at all…? Very few, if I’m being honest.

If I could ask for anything more, it would be a map of Libya and its neighbouring countries to help visualise where, for example, Djerba and Siwa are relative to Tripoli. As an archaeologist, I would have liked to see more diachronic backup for the explanation of some forms of symbolism: up until now, no one has convincingly shown that some forms of pre-Islamic symbolism, like the triangle for Tanit or the cross-in-circle pendant, have indeed been present as such in jewellery continuously. I lean towards the thought that this is more a case of revival than survival, but that is me. And well, ok, final comment, the green font for quotes is at times difficult to read.

But that’s it – the book design is beautiful, the weight of the paper has a sumptuous feel to it, and it’s a good thing that this is a hardback edition: I’m going to be leafing through it quite often.

For those that would want to compare this to Schenone Alberini’s book: that is gorgeous, too, no shade! But Jewelry and Adornment of Libya goes beyond, is more detailed and specific. I found that reading Jewelry and Adornment of Libya helped me place Schenone Alberini’s book in more context, and increased my understanding of Libyan jewellery significantly.

Jewelry and Adornment of Libya: a treasure of a book

The author writes that creating an exhaustive catalogue has not been her intention: the book gravitates around Tripoli (but does include many other places in the jewellery chapters), there is always more research to be done, and she hopes that researchers will build upon this work. I hope so, too! And with Jewelry and Adornment of Libya, the standard is set high.

Because with this book, you will get far more than a catalogue with Libyan jewellery. You will get a valuable record of the world in which this jewellery existed: its social, cultural, historical and economic context. This is one of the best recent books on traditional jewellery I have read, also because of its clear referencing – and as you know, I have read quite a few. So, whether you are from Libya yourself, a collector, curator or scholar working with traditional jewellery: go on and treat yourself to this book before it ends up out of print!

More about Jewellery and Adornment of Libya

Jewelry and Adornment of Libya By Hala Ghellali, 2024. 180 pages, full colour, English.

Published by BLKVLD Uitgevers Publishers.

Available with the publisher: see here how to order

I received the book as review copy.

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The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

The Bedouin Silver Jewellery Blog: Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

Joyeria Amazig/Amazigh Jewelry

Joyeria Amazig/Amazigh Jewelry

by | Cultures & People, Reviews

A private jewellery collection

Joyería Amazig/Amazigh jewellery

Published on November 3, 2024

Another private collection that sees the light of day: in an exhibition and a catalogue! The collection of Amazigh jewellery collected by Spanish ambassador Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo has been the focus of an exhibition in Granada, and its accompanying catalogue Joyería Amazig presents an overview of the collection.

Amazigh jewellery: neighbours

With the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa being neighbours, separated only by the street of Gibraltar, both geographical realms share a history. Not only of trade, but of mutual colonisation; the Amazigh kingdoms conquered the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, and would control it until the 15th century, and in Spain held two ‘protectorates’ in Morocco from 1912 to 1952 amidst the French colonisation of the Maghreb.

It is this shared history that the exhibition aims to emphasise with an exhibition on Amazigh jewellery: ‘to understand more about the cultural wealth of the past, and to build bridges towards a future based on respect for and appreciation of diversity’ [p. 11] [1]

Amazigh jewellery: the book

This publication is bilingual in Spanish and English: an excellent choice, as by using two of the major world languages, the collection may reach a wide audience. The book is divided into two main parts. First, an introductory part highlights the cultural background of Amazigh jewellery. This is followed by the second part, which is the catalogue itself.

The introductory part starts with two essays on the cultural history of the Amazigh, and places these in local context in an essay on the Amazigh in Granada. Given that the exhibition was held in Granada, this chapter truly connects two worlds. The jewellery is then explored by Cynthia J. Becker. Her article uses the collection as a starting point and merges it with her in-depth description of jewellery makers and wearers. I loved how she both includes the broad strokes of history as well as significant local details to place this jewellery collection in its cultural context.

Finally, the ambassador himself details how both his collection and his appreciation for jewellery grew – as you know, it is important to get some idea of the circumstances of collecting and the personal preferences of the collector. This helps understand the collection itself and to compare it with others: each collector holds one piece of the total puzzle, and so having a chapter on the collection history is most valuable. In this case, the starting point was his own culture: the presence of Spanish coins in clothing pins.

The collection: a mixture of pieces

In this case, the collection embraces mostly relatable pieces. Where you will often find catalogues with high-end, exceptional pieces (because that is what the collector is aiming for, and which leave out the more common pieces), these pages reflect the transitional stages of jewellery: the jewellery available in the market today, and their changing interpretations.

Both older and newer jewellery sit side by side with restrung or altered pieces, like the Draa temporal ornament reworked into a pendant [p. 222]. There are also several chimeras or composite pieces in the collection, like the diadem shown on p. 200: this has been constructed of two different bands placed on top of each other, crowned with an upside-down positioned fibula. [2] This has been constructed for the market for cultural outsiders: it would not have been worn as such by the Amazigh community.

That is also the case with the multi-strand necklaces shown on pp 244-245: these are relatively recent compositions, and not part of traditional dress. [3] Creations like these showcase the evolving nature of jewellery from an economical point of view: a way to make a living. Those alterations come in various forms, and are not automatically a bad thing: see how that works and 5 practical tips on how to spot alterations here.

However, the catalogue does not differentiate between these newer and older pieces, and that is a serious drawback. None of the captions gives a date for the piece shown: the publication definitely does not claim all pieces are indeed old, but does not point out when they are younger, either. There are also no reflections on cultural authenticity, which in several cases might have helped to avoid misunderstandings.

A wide variety of jewellery

Personally, I liked the overview of fibulas that have coins as their main decorative element. Coin jewellery may tell us a lot about its wearers, as I describe here.  7 pages with a series of fibulas carrying Spanish coins present a selection that you will not find as easily elsewhere – here, the focus of the collector brings us another angle through which to study jewellery. The drawback is that of all objects in the catalogue, these lack a proper description. For a Spanish person, these coins are probably easily recognisable and datable, but I’ll need to spend a little more time comparing the images to Spanish coinage through the centuries.

The variety of the collection is wide: I loved the variety in fabric headbands with all sorts of decoration stitched on (although I’m not entirely sure all of them are in authentic configuration), you’ll find several examples of large fibula sets, but also a selection of tiny amulets…there are pieces from Mauritania to Libya and I spent a good time going over all of them.

A noteworthy point of the book is that it zooms out to the transregional elements of Amazigh jewellery on occasion. A temporal pendant from Libya for example is compared to both Moroccan and Tunisian examples [p. 237, only in text, not with images], and while all three are different, their common ancestry is not often addressed directly, so I liked that this was touched upon, however briefly.

Joyería Amazig

The focus of this book is, understandably given the position of the collector, on Morocco, but incidentally you will find pieces from Algeria, Tunisia and Libya as well. It is abundantly illustrated: landscapes, rock art, architecture, paintings and photos of people allow you to appreciate the context of the jewellery.

That being said, there is no reflection on the nature of some of these images: colonial postcards and Orientalising paintings are included without further discussion.Some of these have been made under duress, and not all of them are to be considered reliable sources: personally, I feel that the images chosen for a book should be considered with as much care as the text itself.

The artists’ drawings of jewellery throughout the book are simply beautiful: the drawing on the cover is just one example (although those touches of verdigris are a bit unsettling on such a beautiful piece!) There are many more, and I liked their dreamy rendering of beautiful jewels.

The introductory chapters are well written, and contain a wealth of knowledge about Amazigh history and culture, which is so important when looking at jewellery in its context. The book reflects the changing market for jewellery, and pays attention to the more modest pieces. It is these ‘humbler’ items that stand to disappear first, because collectors do not always value these: see the 4 filters of collecting explained here.

I also appreciated that the catalogue part dedicates a single page to every item, allowing you to see it in full. Each piece of jewellery is presented against a black or cream-coloured background, so they really stand out.

However, caution is needed if you’d want to use this as a reference book: like I said, the captions do not clarify the age of the pieces and also do not address the possibility of pieces being composed and rearranged from older elements. When researching exact details of individual pieces, you’ll need to cross-check information in this book with other sources.

Joyería Amazig is an overview of a personal collection. The chapters on its cultural context in the first part of the book add value; the catalogue needs to be considered with caution.

More about Joyería Amazig

Joyería Amazig: identidad de los pueblos beréberes – Amazigh jewelry: identity of the Berber Peoples

Various authors, 2024. 348 pages, full colour, bilingual in Spanish/English

Published by El legado andalusí.

Available with the publisher: to order, fill out the email form under ‘solicitar información’ and the publisher will get back to you with a quote for shipping costs. (the field ‘correo electronico’ is where you leave your email address)

I received the book digitally as review copy. In all transparency: I received a low resolution pdf to review, and have not seen the printed book itself. I can’t tell you anything about the technical execution of the book, the quality of the images, or show you what it looks like inside – just so you know!

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References

[1] I think it’s page 11, the introductory part of the book has no page numbering.

[2] Probably a belt element as shown in Benfoughal, T. 1997, Bijoux et Bijoutiers de l’Aures, p. 162-164, combined with a diadem and the body of a fibula.

[3] As discussed by Alaa Eddine Sagid, curator of the MAP Marrakech, on Facebook-group Ethnic Jewels Community, May 13, 2021.

The Bedouin Silver blog gives credit where credit is due! Transparent referencing and citing sources helps us all grow. Would you like to do the same and quote this article? Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on the jewellery of the Egyptian zar-ritual. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only.

MODA Moroccan Fashion Statements

MODA Moroccan Fashion Statements

by | Museums & Exhibitions

Fashion and design from morocco

MODA: Moroccan Fashion Statements

Published October 10, 2024

Every now and then I come across an exhibition that really leaves me inspired, so imagine my joy when I visited the huge exhibition on Moroccan fashion in Utrecht: MODA – Moroccan fashion statements. Not just because I may have thought ‘I would totally love to wear this’ a little too often, but because this was just immersed with meaning expressed in material form. As usual, click on any of the images below to enlarge them!

MODA: not just any fashion exhibition

Before I take you through a few of my personal highlights, a few general observations. This is an incredibly varied exhibition, in which you will find high couture and street art, luxurious materials and stray finds, innovative and familiar shapes. As the curatorial team (Ninke Bloemberg, curator and iniator of this exhibition, and Zineb Seghrouchni of DAR Cultural Agency) pointed out, this exhibition is not based on books or other forms of debate on what fashion is.

This selection is rooted in people, in everyday life, in today’s culture. It does not aim to be an overview of everything Morocco has to offer in terms of fashion (because you’d need a venue even larger than this), but a celebration of today’s up-and-coming designers alongside fashion icons. It’s like a snapshot of what inspires Moroccan designers today, and a glimpse into the history of fashion. It also illustrates how there is no such thing as monolithic ‘Moroccan’ fashion – the diversity of styles and influences is wide.

Moroccan fashion: today’s world

The first creation I saw, serves as a perfect example. Two designs by Maison Sara Chraïbi: one a wide cloak, the other a flapper-style dress, both from her 2024 Spring-Summer collection. Both carry an image of view into a mosque, whose arches beautifully blend with the lines of the design.

It is not any mosque, however: this is the 12th century Tinmal Mosque, in the High Atlas mountain range. During the devastating earthquake of 2023, it was substantially damaged. Here, its arches are embellished with sparkling gold beads. I imagined how sewing these on, one by one, is almost an act of restoring and protecting, and how wearing it fuses a person and their heritage together. It both brings inner life to the architecture, and embodies a promise to the future.

There is such strength and resilience, but also hope and joy in these first two pieces, that I totally get why these are the show-starters.

Contemporary issues, vintage to ancient design

The design immediately next to it caught my eye, too: a hooded cloak, called silham, covered in embroidered eyes, by Maison ARTC. The cloak itself is vintage, the embroidery has been added. The poem that goes with it, speaks volumes:

I see the change,
The love,
The anger,
The culture,
The hope,
The lack of justice,
The art,
The pain,
The people,
The community,
The world,
Myself,
Don’t forget to witness.

I found the use of eyes in this context extremely powerful: not only do they represent seeing and witnessing, but they also shield the wearer – the power of the eye in deflecting evil is ancient, and the use of sparkling sequins adds to that averting evil. The colour of this cloak, that of henna, adds to that protective and blessing capacity. Seeing and shielding in one garment: it’s this layered meaning that I found to be present throughout the exhibition.

MODA: artists, artisans and everyday life

The exhibition breathes cultural roots and almost effortlessly connects these with new designs and forms. Like the opera cloak of Dior’s 2020 Cruise Collection. Made of wool, dyed with henna, it clearly echoed the traditional henna cloth of southern Morocco. That relation between artists and artisans is also explored in the exhibition. There is a stunning dress where the loom is part of its design by Said Mahrouf, and the same exhibition room shows videos of artisans at work. Here, you’ll also find a wonderful selection of antique Moroccan jewellery on loan from the National Jewellery Museum in Rabat.

What absolutely made my head spin was the attention to hairstyles. Ilham Mestour, a celebrated hairstylist, created several hair designs based on the traditional hairdos of Amazigh women. One of them looked like it was created with actual scented paste, so I asked Zineb Seghrouchni of DAR Cultural Agency, one of the curators, about this piece in particular.

She told me that this was made with ghasoul, and that it smelled wonderful when they took it out of its container to install in the room – I can imagine! Including hair in an exhibition on fashion makes total sense: it is through hairstyles that tribal identities are expressed, but also how a form of private space and time is created. Creating these elaborate hairstyles is much more than just a form of outward appearance: you could say it is the end result of valuable time spent together, stories shared and knowledge transmitted. And that very much belongs in an exhibition on fashion.

MODA: an multi-faceted, rich exhibition

There is much more in this exhibition: from family photos to playful designs, from personal inspiration to global shows. And while I focus, due to the nature of my work I guess, on the more traditional elements that informed the designs, either implicitly or explicitly, that only is just one element of the creations on show. You will see opinions on how we treat our planet, mass-production and pollution, fast consumerism and prejudice.

There is also continuous attention for fashion in art, from street photography to photos enhanced with embroidery (which reminded me a lot of the Imaginarium-project in its treatment of printed matter), video art, a contemplative space to immerse oneself in publications and to meet with other visitors, and a myriad of details that require more than 1 visit – at least, for me!

It is the first time that such a large exhibition on Moroccan fashion has been organised in The Netherlands, and I hope this will be the start of many more: I highly recommend to visit if you have the chance!

MODA. Moroccan Fashion Statements in Centraal Museum Utrecht, Oct 3rd 2024 – March 2, 2025.

Co-curated by Ninke Bloemberg of Centraal Museum and Zineb Seghrouchni of DAR Cultural Agency

I was invited to the press preview and received a copy of the catalogue as a PR-invite.

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Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery, and obtained her PhD at Leiden University on jewellery, informal ritual and collections. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only. Sigrid strongly believes in accessibility of knowledge, and aims to provide reliable and trustworthy content: that’s why the Bedouin Silver blog provides references and citations.

Draa Valley necklace

Draa Valley necklace

by | Objects

Amazigh Berber jewellery

Amber and coral necklace from the Draa Valley, Morocco

Published Jan 17, 2024

A coral and amber stunner in the signature arrangement of the Draa Valley, Morocco. In this article, I’m zooming in on its composition, its meaning and its many lives.

A glorious Draa Valley amber and coral necklace with colourful woollen tassels
Close-up of a spectacular Amazigh Berber necklace from the Draa Valley in Morocco, showing its abundance in coral, amber and trade beads

An Amazigh necklace from the Draa Valley

You’ll find this type of necklace presented as Berber or Amazigh necklace: while ‘Berber’ is the word almost everyone knows, ‘Amazigh’ is actually how its people prefer themselves referred to. I’ll go into the reasons behind that in another post: this article analyzes the meaning and history of this beautiful piece of jewellery.

This huge, gorgeous Berber necklace was worn in the Draa Valley, Morocco. As you see in the gallery above (click the image to enlarge it), it’s made of eight strands of large branch coral beads and a central arrangement of chunky amber beads flanked by shells.⁠

This necklace was worn by a married woman. As its individual components, notably the sizeable pieces of branch coral and amber, are quite expensive, the necklace was also a show of wealth. [1]

Draa Valley necklace: amulets and beads

Between the coral abundance is a treasure of other beads. Amazonite, agate, glass, shell and smaller amber beads are strung in with a variety of beads and pendants in low grade silver: there are coins, cones, cornerless cubes, bell-shaped beads and a few amulets.⁠ [2]

The amber holds several meanings: this is where you’ll find specific information about the hidden powers of amber in Berber jewellery. Amazonite beads were believed to be associated with fertility, because of its green colour: an association found with many green stones.

Ancient trade beads are a testimony to the long history of trade and commerce in the region. As are the polished brown and green agate beads, that were imported on a large scale from Idar Oberstein in Germany.

And it holds several low-grade silver beads, amulets and pendants. These are lovely in their variety, and are randomly strung in with the rest: this is where you’ll find the personal preference of the wearer reflected most closely, as these are the items that she would have selected herself.

She may have collected various beads and pendants over time. They may also come from other pieces of jewellery that had fallen apart – and that is another factor to consider when looking at these necklaces: they fell apart at some point during their lives.

Berber jewellery from the Draa Valley: its many lives

This piece is still in its original stringing. But what does that really mean? I think it’s important to consider that this is the last stringing with the purpose of wearing it within the culture itself.

‘Last’, because during its life, it would have been restrung multiple times anyway. Its threads would become worn after years of beads weighing them down. Eventually one of them would break, and then it would be restrung. That was also the perfect occasion to add some more beads and other pendants. So, with several actions of restringing, which ‘incarnation’ is the original one…? That’s why I think looking at its purpose is an important factor in determining whether stringing is ‘original’.

Another indicator of ‘original stringing’ is its closure, so let’s go into that next.
⁠

" Necklaces have several lives: they are restrung multiple times, each time with tiny differences to its arrangement and composition'

Draa Valley necklace details: its closure

What is even more remarkable about this Amazigh necklace is that it still has its original closure: the two large tassels of woolen cords. These are quite heavy themselves, and form a perfect counterweight to the weight of the beads.⁠

They are held together by a woolen band. Like a scrunchy in your hair, that is what keeps the two heavy tassels together. The idea behind the tassels is not to knot them, that would be uncomfortable to wear, but to simply tie them closely together.

There are other cultural reasons to avoid knots in general: you’ll find those here.

You may find similar necklaces outfitted with a simple knot-and-loop closure: that is a later alteration to make these necklaces more suited to the taste of collectors who’d want to wear them. And that brings me to their afterlife.

Draa Valley necklace: its afterlife

Necklaces like these, in their original setup, are becoming increasingly rare. Many of these have been broken up in the past to be sold, as its individual coral, amazonite and amber beads may fetch a handsome price.

You’ll also find modern arrangements reflecting the style of the Draa Valley, sometimes put together with antique elements and sometimes with entirely newly made beads.

Some of these are used in traditional dance performances (you don’t want your antique piece snapping apart on stage, after all) both in Morocco itself and abroad. As such, the design of this necklace is still communicating the cultural identity of its wearers, and I think that is a beautiful thing!

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References

[1] Berber Women of Morocco, Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent 2014, p. 73.

[2] See the chapter Jewelry Art by Cynthia Becker in Berber Women of Morocco, Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent 2014.

Would you like to quote this article? Please do! Here’s how:

S. van Roode, [write the title as you see it above this post], published on the Bedouin Silver website [paste the exact link to this article], accessed on [the date you are reading this article and decided it was useful for you].

Sigrid van Roode

Sigrid van Roode is an archeologist, ethnographer and jewellery historian. Her main field of expertise is jewellery from North Africa and Southwest Asia, as well as archaeological and archaeological revival jewellery. She has authored several books on jewellery. Sigrid has lectured for the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Turquoise Mountain Jordan, and many others. She provides consultancy and research on jewellery collections for both museums and private collections, teaches courses and curates exhibitions. She is not involved in the business of buying and selling jewellery, and focuses on research, knowledge production, and education only.