Feature:
Hand Embroidery in Morocco
Some
samples of incredible hand embroidery dates back to the early
18th century, but women started this time-consuming occupation
long before. As a tradition many centuries ago, women used
to decorate their hands and feet with henna for special occasions,
such as a wedding ceremony. The Berber tribes still use permanent
tattoo symbols. Later this very decoration had been transferred
onto pottery and then as hand embroidery, which became a big
part of tradition.
The
newborn baby often gets beautiful embroidered pillowcase,
cover & sheet. A girl's dowry, which consisted of embroideries,
could easily take a generation to build up. The embroidery
could contain many pieces, which on her wedding day was carried
to the bride's house with musicians. Before the wedding the
bride-to-be would be accompanied to the hamam wearing partly
embroidered clothes, such as the sleeves, belt, veil, and
even her under garment, as well as a shall to carry a change
of clothes, all embroidered. There were specially embroidered
pieces for the henna ceremony. The fine wedding sheet made
of Crepes De Chine, which was brilliantly embroidered in the
ends, would later be shown to everyone at the party, to prove
the virginity of the bride. The dowry was displayed at the
wedding such as curtains, bedcovers, tablecloths, etc...to
show the wealth of the family, and for everyone to admire
the wonderful and skillful work. Sometimes
the family rented out especially magnificent pieces.
Influenced
by the Andaluce, cities in the north of Morocco, like Tetouan,
Chaoen, Meknes, Rabat, Salé, Zemmour, and Fez are all known
for their unique way of embroidery style, technique, colors,
and fabric. Women from Tafilal, in the south of Morocco, Berber
Jews, mainly made fantastic embroidered clothes. The fabulous
wedding curtains (2 meters by 3.5 meters) from Rabat, usually
very fine, transparent fabric, with floral design, where upon
it a pattern was first made. The stitches are the same on
both sides. This curtain gives most incredible shadow effect
on the wall as the light hits it.
Fez
embroidery is likely to be the most celebrated of them all.
Easy to identify because of its highly graphic and geometric
design, the triangle represents the eye, but may also symbolize
the female sex if there are other triangles in each corner.
The hand of Fatima is also embroidered for protection against
evil eye.
Using
natural dye, most commonly deep red, indigo blue, and black
silk, is embroidered monochrome onto white cotton. Other colors
such as purple, shades of brown, yellow, and green are also
used. Beforehand Fez embroidery has no pattern whatsoever
transferred or drawn onto the actual fabric, contrary to other
embroideries. Its measured stitches are very small, only a
few millimeters. The women simply count each thread; one stitch
spans two to four threads of the fabric. The fabric usually
80cm wide and 2 meters long are stretched on a special loom,
then rolled up so the women actually only see the part which
she works on. Embroidering horizontally, vertically or diagonally,
leaving blanks to combine the desired design. This is an extremely
time-consuming technique, which requires mathematical precision
and a lot of concentration and patience. There is no reverse
side. Usually the women first see the outcome when they are
finished all the intricate work, sometimes after several years.
Family, friends, and neighbors, are then invited to a big
tea party to admire the embroidered piece.
Small
girls were taught the art of embroidery at special small school
workshops. The teacher, the maalma, would keep all the work
as her commission for free training. Clients would come to
order new embroideries, or have their old ones restored. In
the early 20th century, when the tradition was still strong,
more than 2 thousand women were teaching or having workshops
in Fez alone. The bourgeoisie families would buy cotton fabric;
silk from the Orient, and special looms, so their daughters
could practice the skills and art they learned from the maalma
at home. The pieces they produced were usually squared and
rectangular, consisting of one or several parts, such as pillowcases
and bedspreads.
During
the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, they
began using chemical colors for the silk thread, with very
few exceptions. Not one embroidered piece is the alike. They
are all unique; a piece of art. Each individual would show
her own creative skills, sense, and choice of color. In the
harems, women from other countries would certainly influence
the women with their style and technique. Unfortunately today,
very few women are practicing the art of hand embroidery.
Many articles are now machine embroidered, so we must treasure
what is left and what used to be a fabulous tradition.
Browse
our Embroidery in The Private Collection >
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