Tells the stories of 25 women who practice textile traditions with an inspiring energy, pride, fortitude while contributing substantially to their family's income!

In southeastern Morocco, around the oasis of Tafilalet, the Ait Khabbash people weave brightly colored carpets, embroider indigo head coverings, paint their faces with saffron, and wear ornate jewelry. Their extraordinarily detailed arts are rich in cultural symbolism; they are always breathtakingly beautiful—and they are typically made by women. Like other Amazigh (Berber) groups (but in contrast to the Arab societies of North Africa), the Ait Khabbash have entrusted their artistic responsibilities to women. Cynthia Becker spent years in Morocco living among these women and, through family connections and female fellowship, achieved unprecedented access to the artistic rituals of the Ait Khabbash. The result is more than a stunning examination of the arts themselves, it is also an illumination of women's roles in Islamic North Africa and the many ways in which women negotiate complex social and religious issues. One of the reasons Amazigh women are artists is that the arts are expressions of ethnic identity, and it follows that the guardians of Amazigh identity ought to be those who literally ensure its continuation from generation to generation, the Amazigh women. Not surprisingly, the arts are visual expressions of womanhood, and fertility symbols are prevalent. Controlling the visual symbols of Amazigh identity has given these women power and prestige. Their clothing, tattoos, and jewelry are public identity statements; such public artistic expressions contrast with the stereotype that women in the Islamic world are secluded and veiled. But their role as public identity symbols can also be restrictive, and history (French colonialism, the subsequent rise of an Arab-dominated government in Morocco, and the recent emergence of a transnational Berber movement) has forced Ait Khabbash women to adapt their arts as their people adapt to the contemporary world. By framing Amazigh arts with historical and cultural context, Cynthia Becker allows the reader to see the full measure of these fascinating artworks.

Reveals the dazzling fusion of cultural influences in Moroccan arts and crafts Its unique geographical location established Morocco as a center of cultural exchange, and its remarkable arts and crafts are the product of a centuries-long intermingling of influences from other parts of Africa and the traditions of Islam and from the singular cultural alliance of the Moors and the Spaniards. Superbly illustrated with more than 150 specially commissioned color photographs, Arts and Crafts of Morocco illuminates the wonders of this thriving tradition. Dr. James F. Jereb’s pioneering account, based on his own first hand research, examines an extensive range of media: vibrantly colored textiles; jewelry in a range of exquisite configurations; original leather, wood, and metalwork; and an enormous variety of pottery and ceramics. These marvelous objects derive either from a rural lifestyle, with symbols and patterns that reflect the powerful animistic beliefs of the Berber country artisans, or from the cities, where Islamic tenets compose the cultural foundation. All of these works are thus endowed with a spiritually charged significance that determines their functions and ensures their remarkable beauty. This in-depth study is made complete with guidance on Moroccan arts and crafts from expert collectors and a revealing analysis of the belief systems, festivals, and ceremonies that inform the predominant techniques and visual motifs of Moroccan art.

There are few serious studies of adolescence in contemporary Islamic society, in spite of frequent reference to this part of the world as an example of close cultural regulation of sexuality and male-female interaction. This welcome contribution by an anthropologist and a psychologist is based on a long-term study of about 150 youths and their families in a town in northern Morocco. Topics given substantial treatment include sexuality, family, friendship, courtship, marriage, and social deviance; discussion often is organized around individual cases or interviews. The book is clearly written and will be useful to those concerned with sexuality and adolescence in the Middle East or cross-culturally. It is part of the series "Adolescents in a Changing World" ed. by B.B. and J.W. Whiting. In some respects it nicely complements the well-received book by L. Abu-Lughod, Veiled Sentiments (CH, May'87). The Davis and Davis volume is more explicitly concerned with psychological theory, formal interviews, and a community-wide sample; Abu-Lughod offers a more intimate and textured picture of domestic life.

For centuries, the people of Morocco have been producing magnificent embroideries, pile rugs, and flatweaves. The Fabric of Moroccan Life showcases rare embroideries, hangings, and rugs that reflect the broad range of traditions and cultural influences active in Morocco during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The book explores the artistic importance of these superb weavings as well as their central role in Moroccan culture.Approximately 150 pieces - and numerous details - are illustrated in colour, and additional photographs (including many that were taken in the 1930s) show how they were once used in everyday life in Morocco. The book includes essays on Moroccan embroidery and its origins, traditional costumes of the cities and rural areas, the weavings of the Berbers and other ethnic groups, and the distinctive characteristics of items made by particular ethnic sub-groups. The contributing writers are eminent scholars and experts in a variety of fields, including Moroccan history and culture; Moroccan rugs, textiles, and clothing; and natural dyes. A wealth of information is included that has never before been available in one volume.Niloo Imami Paydar is curator of textiles and costumes at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Ivo Grammet is coordinator of a new museum in Nador, northern Morocco. The contributors include Gérard Boëly, Gebhard Blazek, Katherine Dolk-Ellis, Narjys El Alaoui, Mustapha Hansali, Annette Korolnik-Andersch, Marcel Korolnik, Zineb Lehmam, Russell Pickering, Ahmed Skounti, Frieda Sorber, Wilfried Stanzer, and Marie-France Vivier.

A wide-ranging analysis of grass-roots activism, migration, legal, political and religious changes as basis for social transformation.

First published in Great Britain in 1994.