This tent band was designed and constructed by the Berber People of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is woven with a classic, “Berber Knot,” and features an extremely high thread count. Stylistically, rather than the flora and arabesque-like designs characteristic of other, neighboring textile traditions, Berber rug patterns are “exclusively in straight lines, illustrating simple, geometric forms such as triangles, rectangles, zig-zags, stars and crosses…” (Barbatti 2008). This tent band or curtain serves a decorative and protective purpose. Affixed to the body of the tent, it can be raised during the day to admit light and air, or lowered over the stretchers for warmth and privacy. In this piece, there are diagonal shapes that lead the eye outward into a limitless space. The process of stylizing and preserving the form of such textiles require a deep knowledge of craft as transmitted via oral tradition through centuries in Berber culture.

REFERENCES:

Barbatti, Bruno. 2008. Berber Carpets of Morocco: The Symbols Origin and Meaning. Paris: ACR Edition.