Producers unknown to us
Fqîh-Haik
Africa, Morocco, Anti-Atlas
1850
Textile; woven, painted
Annette Korolnik-Andersch (artist) and Marcel Korolnik (media designer) acquired the Fqih blanket on one of their trips to Morocco
Donation to the Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden by Korolnik-Andersch in 2019
87994
This women’s garment was crafted around 1850 by women of the Feija community using wool and painted with henna in multiple stages. Subsequently, a healer (Fqîh) in southern Morocco used it to perform treatments. The symbols applied with henna created a space to ward off hostile forces, into which those seeking help would enter. The healer incorporated symbols for medicinal herbs from the Tifinagh alphabet, the ancient script of the Imazighen, channeling the sacred blessing (Baraka).
During the treatment, the Fqîh would either sit on the Haik with the person seeking help or wrap them in it. This healing ritual combined symbols drawn from various religious traditions, such as the eye, the Seal of Solomon, and celestial bodies. The healer used these symbols as expressions of protective and empowering forces to assist individuals in traumatic situations and times of need.
Team GRASSI.SKD