Producer unknown to us
Veil (Adrar)
Africa, Morocco, Anti-Atlas, Imi n`Tatelt
1950
Textile; woven, painted
Annette Korolnik-Andersch (artist) and Marcel Korolnik (media designer) acquired the veil on one of their trips to Morocco
Donated to Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden by Korolnik-Andersch in 2019
87967
A woman from the Feija tribe in Imi n`Tatelt in the central Anti-Atlas, who belonged to the Chorfa, wove this woolen veil around 1950. The Chorfa hold a special place in Moroccan society as they are considered descendants of the Prophet and are believed to possess healing powers. Among the Chorfa, such veils are made exclusively for weddings and are passed down from mother to daughter. The henna decoration symbolizes the firmament. The two blank spaces represent a full moon and two adjacent half-moons. Their orientation is meant to neutralize both positive and negative effects, such as aggression and joy. Surrounding the firmament, Tifinagh script characters appear in a lighter henna color. The white woven motifs that stand out from the henna decorations depict everyday objects like teapots, as well as stars, birds, and eagles. Such veils are called "Bouitri", meaning "the owner of the stars".
Team GRASSI.SKD