Berber Memories: Women and Jewellery in Morocco

Product Description

A superb collection of Moroccan Berber jewelry is showcased here alongside historical and artistic context for the beautiful objects

The Berbers, also known as Amazigh, are an ethnic group indigenous to North and West Africa.  For hundreds of years, Berber tribes of Morocco have created intricate jewelry to adorn the bodies of Berber women not merely to aesthetic ends, but to convey information about the positions of women within their tribal worlds, including messages about fertility, wealth, and social hierarchy.  This beautifully illustrated book offers a glimpse at objects from a particularly fine collection of Berber jewelry from across Morocco. Most often made of silver, Berber jewelry frequently incorporates coral, turquoise, enamelwork, and glass.  The objects featured here include ear and head ornaments as well as traditional
tizerais, large, triangular clasps designed to hold garments in place. 
Berber Memories also offers a brief history of Berber culture, with a focus on ornament in the context of the status of Berber women. 

About the Author

Michel Draguet is professor of art history at the Université libre de Bruxelles, director general of the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts in Belgium, and a member of the Belgian Académie royal d’archéologie.