Aït Bou Ichaouen: Weavings of a Nomadic
Berber Tribe
Alfred H. and Suzanne S. Saulniers
Hardcover, 8.25 x 11 in, v, 190 pages, color
photos, illustrations, bibliography
Fenestra Books, June 2003
ISBN: 1587360985
Browse an online exhibit of rug samples from
Aït Bou Ichaouen.
Description
Aït Bou Ichaouen presents the beauty and diversity
of textiles from a small Moroccan tribe whose weavings are unlike
those found elsewhere. Living in an isolated area that was unknown
to the carpet world until 1997, the women who wove these textiles
boldly used colors in striking motifs. Many of their designs and
techniques have not been identified elsewhere in Morocco.
These women regularly invented motifs to record key events in
the tribe's history. They wove Moroccan War Rugs in memory of the
twenty-six-year struggle against French domination.
Their newly invented designs join many traditional carpet and
textile motifs, some of which go back to the Bronze Age or earlier.
These archaic designs reflect an older North African weaving
tradition now almost entirely lost. In their isolation, the women
of the tribe preserved an important part of the world's textile
heritage while showing an ability to adapt to changing events.
The Saulniers have collected Moroccan pile rugs, flatweaves, and
other textiles since 1975. From their collection, Aït Bou
Ichaouen presents 100 carefully selected weavings that originate in
the pre-Saharan foothills on the eastern slopes of the High Atlas
Mountains.
Aït Bou Ichaouen also includes a rigorous structural
analysis of each textile and a comprehensive appendix on the
weaving techniques employed by the tribe's weavers.
About the authors
Alfred H. Saulniers is an economist. He was economic and
privatization adviser to the Moroccan government for eleven
years.
Suzanne Smith Saulniers is a rural sociologist and gender
specialist. She has project and extension experience in many
developing areas of the world.
After having researched and taught in both Latin America and
sub-Saharan Africa, they bought their first Moroccan carpets in
Marrakech in 1975. Falling in love with the carpets' bold colors
and strong designs, they returned in 1977 to buy more. They
collected widely while living in Morocco from 1986 to 1998. They
have lectured extensively about Moroccan carpets and textiles and
have researched and written about Haouderrane (Zemmour) women's
wedding shawls, Sehoul weavings, and the Aït Bou Ichaouen.
Contents
List of Maps iv
List of Figures iv
List of Charts iv
List of Tables iv
Acknowledgements v
Introduction 1
Aït Bou Ichaouen History 5
Origin and Background 6
Resistance to the French 10
The Tribal Environment 19
Aït Bou Ichaouen Population
20
The Physical Environment 22
The Social Environment 23
The Economy 24
The Tent 29
Description of the Tent 30
Furnishings 31
Material Preparation for Aït Bou Ichaouen Weavings 33
Wool 34
Dyeing 35
The Loom 37
The Weaving Process 38
Rituals for Protection 38
Inventory of Aït Bou Ichaouen Weavings 41
Small Pile Carpet--thafarash
42
Large Pile Carpet--tharashna
42
Mixed-technique Pile and
Flatweave--asachu 42
Large Utility Sack--tharart 45
Small Personal Sack--aâlau
47
Cushion--usada 48
Feedbag--thaâdilt 48
Shawl--tamizart 48
Designs 51
Aït Bou Ichaouen Designs
52
Bilateral Communication: The Hidden
Female Language of Aït Bou Ichaouen Designs 52
Sources of Aït Bou Ichaouen
Designs 53
Design Languages or Design Dialects
60
Typology of Aït Bou Ichaouen
Designs 60
Conclusions 73
Plates of Textiles 81
Afterword 155
Appendix: Aït Bou Ichaouen Textile Techniques 157
Material 158
Spinning and Plying Yarn 158
Weaving 160
Tapestry 161
Weft Variations 162
Knots 163
Edges 165
Ends 166
Embellishments 167
Glossary 169
Bibliography of Works Cited 171
List of Maps
1. Morocco: Location of main Aït Seghrouchen areas 6
2. Aït Seghrouchen of the Moulouya 9
3. Route-Keddou Raid, 1910 13
4. Location of Aït Bou Ichaouen subtribes 21
List of Figures
1. Sultans of the Idrissid Dynasty of Morocco 8
2. Parts of the vertical loom, azetta 37
3. Parts of the horizontal loom, azetta aârab 37
4. Personal sack with zigzag lines after Malhomme, 1959, Plate 233
47
5. Engraving of longhorn at Kerma in the Aït Bou Ichaouen
grazing area, after Greisson, Plate 9 65
6. Rayed sun at Oukaïmeden, after Malhomme, 1959, Plate 162
65
7. Direction of spin 158
8. Balanced plainweave 160
9. Weft-faced plainweave 160
10. Picket-fence pattern 160
11. Slitweave tapestry 161
12. Dovetail tapestry 161
13. Double-interlock tapestry--front 161
14. Double-interlock tapestry--back 161
15. Floating-weft tapestry--front 162
16. Floating-weft tapestry--back 162
17. Symmetric knot: Standard, Modified 163
18. Symmetric knot: Extended I, Extended II 163
19. Asymmetric knot: Open left, Closed 163
20. Asymmetric knot: Closed extended, Open extended 163
21. Asymmetric knot: Looped 164
22. Berber knot: Front, Back 164
23. Spanish knot: Over one warp, Extended 164
24. Eleven variants of warp-weft knot found in Plate 25 165
25. Standard selvedge 165
26. Herringbone edging 166
27. Parallel-plaited warp ends 166
28. Diagonally-plaited warp ends 167
List of Charts
1. Population in the Aït Bou Ichaouen Area, 1936-1994 20
2. Talsint Median Monthly Rainfall, 1935-1960 22
3. Deviations from Monthly Rainfall, Beni Tajite, 1993-1999
23
4. Herd size: 1941-1945, 1997-2000 25
5. Lead Mining, Talsint Area, 1964-1986 25
List of Tables
1. Aït Bou Ichaouen Population, 1994 20
2. Education: Talsint-Bouchaouene: 1994 23
3. Sizes of Aït Bou Ichaouen Textiles 50
4. Material use in Aït Bou Ichaouen weavings (Number of
weavings and percentages) 158
5. Spin in Aït Bou Ichaouen weavings (Number of weavings and
percentages) 159
6. Weaving techniques in Aït Bou Ichaouen textiles (Number of
weavings and percentages) 160
7. Tapestry use in Aït Bou Ichaouen weavings (Number of
weavings and percentages) 162
8. Weft variation in Aït Bou Ichaouen weavings (Number of
weavings and percentages) 163
9. Knot use in Aït Bou Ichaouen weavings (Number of weavings
and percentages) 166
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