by Memori Studio

• Wool, henna, walnut bark dye
  
• Handmade in Morocco
• Dimensions: 34 x 29 cm

A unique, textile art piece of handspun and handwoven wool, henna, and walnut bark dye by the Feija Tribe in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas.

Henna is considered a protective talisman, and the veils are henna-painted with patterns specific to the Feija Tribe. For the Feija, their symbol is formed from two patterns: First the moon, or ayyur, that reflects the cycle of femininity and fertility, and secondly the key, tissura, that refers to deflowering. Together, this veil represents a new cycle for the woman, and blesses her with good luck and fertility. 

Provenance:

In the Anti-Atlas, the Feija are one of the oldest Berber tribes. Until the early 2000's, their village - landlocked by mountains - was only only accessible on foot or accompanied by mules. It is a village mostly of women, as the lack of work force men to leave for bigger cities. It is in this landlocked village that the women weavers pass from generation to generation, mother to daughter, the ancestral tradition of creating henna-painted, wool veils. These women are the guardian of this creation - one of the few remaining villages in Morocco where women still handspin using heritage techniques with such finesse.