Millifiori beads; know what you are wearing.

African Trade Bead/Millifiori

These pieces of colored glass, found in many countries over the globe, can also be named as African Trade Beads, Slave Beads, Love Beads, Mosaic Beads, or Venetian Trade Beads . In Morocco Millefiori are found more commonly in the Agadir region, specifically Guelmim, once a camel trade, cross roads town and of course Marakesh where no stone is unturned and traded for.

The beads were produced between the 16^th and 20^th centuries in Venice Italy, formerly an important center of commerce.  Being a form of currency, popular in the slave trade, these beds turn up in markets and boutiques in Africa, the Americas and parts of Asia. The intricate droplets of glass were exchanged for human cargo as well as ivory, gold and other goods desired in Europe and around the world.

Millifiori

Millefiori translates from Italian as a thousand flowers and these now jewellery pieces consist of intertwined lengths of glass that were bound and stretched at a high temperature and then cut into cylinder shapes.  Beads such as the kiffa beads of Mauritania are thought to have resulted from women creating powdered glass beads to mimic the appearance of Millefiori beads.

You can distinguish between replicas and the real thing by looking at the strength of the color – mass produced millefiori beads tend to have greater color intensity.

If you have more information on Miliifiori beads in Morocco please comment on this post below.

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Henna حِنَّاء

Henna freshly applied

Henna is a flowering plant used since ancient times for dying hair, fingernails, drumheads, leather, wool and skin and to decorate the female body, bringing baraka (good destiny).  In several parts of the world it is traditionally used in various festivals and celebrations.

The adornment of hand and feet during holy festivals in Northern Africa continues to be popular today. Often seen as something that attracts the opposite sex, henna is not applied during the month of Ramadan. Brides will typically have the most henna, and the most complex patterns, to support their greatest joy, and wishes for luck. . Infact  henna adornment is not only for women but also for horses and donkeys on hooves and tails.

Henna, the final result

For skin dyeing, a paste of ground henna (either prepared from a dried powder or from fresh ground leaves) is placed in contact with the skin from a few hours to overnight. Henna stains can last a few days to a month depending on the quality of the paste, individual skin type, and how long the paste is allowed to stay on the skin. The plant paste reacts to protein on the skin thus henna is stronger on parts of the body with a higher protein level.

henna powder

Henna also acts as an anti-fungal and a preservative for leather and cloth. It is know to be used for medicinal purposes. Henna repels some insect pests and mildew. The flower has been used to create perfume since ancient times.

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Taureg People, thier culture and their bling!

Blue-man of the Desert

The Tuareg people are predominantly nomadic people of the sahara desert, mostly in the Northern reaches of Mali near Timbuktu and Kidal but are also indigenous to Morocco.  They are often referred to as “Blue Men of the desert” – because their robes are dyed indigo blue. They traditionally live in small tribes with between 30 and 100 family members and keep camels, goats, cattle and chicken which graze the land.

A Taureg Woman

However, in recent times the Tuareg have been abandoning their nomadic way of life and take up sedentary lifestyles. Drought and government policy are threatening their traditional way of life but Tuaregs and their camel-caravans still appear unexpectedly on the horizon before melting into the desert again.

Taureg Silver

From their inventive spirit and skillful hands springs a culture renown for artisan works, notably for their spectacular silver jewelry. Tuareg women have a superstitious fear of gold and don’t wear it; silver has thus taken its place in the Tuareg traditions. Silver jewelry is part of every Tuareg family estate, it has both symbolic and real value, serving also as savings and for (foreign) exchange.

The Southern Cross from Agades or Iferwan was originally worn only by men who transferred it from father to son at puberty. It hints to the virility and strength of the young men in relation to their traditional nomad lifestyle. The cross represents saddle pommel of their camels or in a wider view, the four cardinal directions.

Taureg Cross

Traditionally a father would transmit the cross to his son saying “Son, I give you the four directions, as no one knows where your path will end.”

For more information on Taureg news see http://tuaregcultureandnews.blogspot.com

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Berber/Amazigh Bling- the overall.

Berber/Amazigh jewellery serves a much wider purpose than simple adornment. The jewellery a woman wears identifies her as a member of a clan or tribe, it is a sign of her wealth, it reflects cultural traditions and it has power beyond the visual, to protect her from the evil eye.

Fibulas

A woman will receive jewellery from her mother until she marries. For her marriage, her future husband will commission his mother or sister to provide jewellery for her and these will be kept by her as dowry.  Added to this jewellery will always be made of silver, as gold is considered evil in Amazigh culture.

Amamzigh bling

Necklaces are important, the traditional assemblage in the southern oasis valleys sometimes featuring talismans of silver, pink coral, amazonite, amber, Czech glass and West African ebony beads. A woman will also have bracelets, fibulas (elaborate brooches, often triangular, used for fastening garments), anklets, earrings and headdresses. Some pieces will be worn every day, others – the finest – will be saved for occasions such as festivals, pilgrimages and funerals.

Berber/Amazigh jewellery is one of the best examples of the unique savoir-faire of Moroccan craftsmen and explores what is specific and unique to Aamazigh culture. If the Islamic tradition requires men not to wear gold, it is not the case for women, although in most cases families have no wealth to adorn their women with gold anyways.

Amazight Head-dress

In addition, jewellery was often melted down and sold in times of scarcity, to be eventually redeemed. Berber women, adorned with heavy bracelets and necklaces in the shape of large chains attached to two brooches, would adorn the whole family fortune, as if they were some sort of “walking bank”.  These large bracelets and heavy chains were used as defensive weapons, which that they often take the shape of sharp and pointed diamonds. If faced with danger, a woman could easily knock down her assailant with the momentum of his arm and the weight of the bracelet.

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Amazigh Facial Tattoos

 

Facial Tattoo of the Amazigh culture

Traditional facial tattooing may have disappeared from the cities, but still women of some rural Arab and Berber/Amazigh tribes maintain the custom of facial tattooing. The tattoos enhanced beauty and are superstitiously known to protect the bearer against the evil eye, or prevented sickness.

These auspicious tattoos, protection from disease and death, were applied from a very early age. By contrast, fertility and beauty symbols, which still adorn many women’s faces, are applied at the onset of puberty, shortly before marriage. Among Berber girls a ‘palm tree’ tattoo took the form of a simple line tattooed directly below the mouth, sometimes accompanied by a row of dots. Called siyala (sayala in Tunisia), this tattoo was a fertility symbol and the most beautiful a girl could have.

Harcuus from Tunisia

Also known as Harcuus tattoos in the Middle East and North Africa. Henna, Khol and Harcuus tatoos are traditionally thought to be expressions of women’s beauty, desirability, celebration and leisure. Hacuus now has become associated as a status symbol of the rural poor while modern imported make-up a symbol of the urban, wealthy and educated woman.

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Magical powers of jewelry….

The protective, medicinal and magical properties of jewellery are extremely important in Amazigh/Berber culture. The necklaces containing charms bought from magicians or holy men, can offer protection against the evil eye, disease, accidents and difficulties in childbirth.

Silver is believed to cure rheumatism; coral symbolizes fertility and is thought to have curative powers; amber is worn as a symbol of wealth and to protect against sorcery (it’s also considered an aphrodisiac and a cure for colds) ; amazonite and carnelian stones are used in divining fortunes; shells traded from East Africa symbolize fertility.  Talismans feature stylized motifs of animals, sun, moon and stars, all of which are believed to have supernatural powers.

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Five In Your Eye

The Khamsa is a popular palm-shaped amulet through out North Africa and the Middle East.  Commonly found in Morocco in jewelry design, it is worn to ward off the evil eye.

The Khamsa, hand of Fatima

Signifying blessing, power and strength this emblematical hand crosses both Islamic and Jewish cultures. In Islam the Khamsa is known as the hand of Fatima refering to the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed, named Fatima Zarha who is regarded by Muslims as an exemplar for both men and women.  Khamsa (Xamsa) is also the number 5 in Arabic; the hand representing the five pillars of Islam.

hand of fatima

In ‘Jewish North African’ (Sepharadic) culture the Khmissa is known as the Hand of Miriam, referencing the sister of the biblical Moses and Aaron. Five (hamesh in Hebrew) represents the five books of the Torah for Jews.

A popular saying of good will in Morocco is “khamsa fi ainek “(“five [fingers] in your eye”).

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