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A handmade flatwoven rug or -hanbel- from the Berber tribe of the Zemmour. The Zemmour inhabit areas of the Middle Atlas mountain range in Morocco. Their flatwoven textiles are among the most reputed ones in Morocco. That is attributable not only to the quality of the materials, wool and cotton, but also to their skill and the vast variety of horizontal and vertical decorative motifs used that evidence the amazingly rich Berber symbology combining male, female and life elements. Very decorative and true pieces of art.

The area where the Marmoucha Berber clan, belonging to the larger Zenaga group, is not far from the imperial Moroccan city of Fes in the southern Middle Atlas. The Marmoucha are neighbours of the Beni Ouarain and that is why some of their pieces remind sometimes of the patterns and designs from the latter. Their flatweaves usually are rich in colors and tend to be quite bright and dense. The use of diamond or lozenge strings lattice of narrow black lines circling white squares is a typical old Marmoucha motif. In their knotted rugs they usually use the so-called Berber knot. 

A lovely cushion made from a fragment of bogolan Indigo vintage from Mali, and new natural cotton by the other side. interlining for more resistance.

Filling not included.

A great vintage Moroccan nickel silver hamman bowl featuring a nice embossed decoration. It may serve for many purposes now. Large size. You decide!.

A great vintage Moroccan nickel silver hamman bowl featuring a nice embossed decoration. It may serve for many purposes now. Large size. You decide!.

Great cushion made with remnants of an antique stunning Berber Jaique of undyed natural wool. The reverse is made of high quality rustic natural cotton which gives it a perfect consistency also to be used as a floor cushion. Zip closure. Filling not included.

A Berber haïk or shawl from M´Tougha in the Moroccan High Atlas. Handmade. Woven natural undyed wool. The combination of browns and creams as well as the distribution of the stripes are magnificent and grant it an elegant and authentic tribal character. A -haïk-, -hayk-, -haik- or -tahraoukht-, is an outer garment used by the different Berber tribes as part of their attire.

A beautiful and elegant old silver and carnelian agate ring from Afghanistan. Carnelian beads from the Indian subcontinent are documented in deposits as disparate and distant as the Niger basin or Mesopotamia and in times as old as the Sumerian civilization.

A beautiful and rare antique silver ring from Afghanistan. Its singularity lies in the ancient so-called Dutch chevron glass bead in the central cabochon that would have usually had a stone attached.

Dutch chevron glass beads are produced  in the eighteenth century in the city of Amsterdam in order to imitate rock crystal and other precious stones in the trade with the African and American colonies.

Nice patina

A very fancy Bohemian glass beads necklace from the 1920’. Glass masters from Bohemia and Moravia have been producing glass beads from more than ten centuries. Of course also during the European colonial period exporting large quantities of trade beads. Very precious for locals in West Africa for its fancy colors and numerous shapes. Elegant!

We use the term trade beads to refer to the European made glass beads that were used by the European merchants and explorers in the trade in Africa as from the 15th century and continued during their colonial expansion.

The history of trade beads in Africa takes us then to the 15th century and the arrival of the Euro-pean, mainly the Portuguese, to the coasts of West Africa. The European discovered quite soon how much the people they met there fancied beads and saw they an opportunity for trade. Amongst the beads that captivated the African people most were glass beads since the techniques for their making had not yet been developed locally. The locals fell for the precious and colorful glass beads such as Venetian millefiori or chevron beads that the European traders had on offer and bartered them for commodities such as precious woods, ivory, gold and even used, ignomi-niously, in the slave trade. The increasing demand in Africa of European made glass beads conti-nued quite until the first half of the 20th century and it had a boosting effect in the production in cities such as Venice which glass beads became very popular and coveted.

An eye-catching and fancy Kuchi necklace from Afghanistan. It is made of beautifully chained metal beads and glass cabochons. The Kuchi people, from the Persian -koch- meaning migration, are Afghan pashtoons nomads divided in a number of tribes that inhabit areas of Afghanistan and, to a lesser extent, Pakistan. Their jewellery has become extremely popular among those practising oriental dances and belly-dancing.

A superb pair of old silver hoops from the Hazara, an ethnic minority group of persian origin that lives in central and Northeastern Afghanistan and in Northwestern Pakistan. This sample shows outstanding engraving and it is rimmed with delicate granulation work. Large size. It probably comes from the Nuristan region in Afghanistan or from Pakistan. An example of this quality and age are very hard to come by and have become very much sought after. Early XXth century.

An interesting old Berber piece from Southern Morocco. The upper part is a cluster of red coral branches, an assortment of beads of glass, silver and stone and old coins. This arrangement protects a small leather amulet (-gris-gris-) hidden underneath. The coins are two twenty-cent silver coins from the French emperor Napoleon III of 1867 and two one-dirham silver coins from Meknes from the XVIIIth century. The lower part is a fragment of iron and brass mail or mesh. A rare headornament also found in Southern Algeria. Outstanding and rare piece from the third quarter of the XIXth century.

An embroidered tribal belt from the nomad tribe of the Kuchi in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Further decorated with glass beads and coins. 1970's.

An embroidered tribal belt from the nomad tribe of the Kuchi in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Further decorated with glass beads and coins. 1970's.

A Moroccan artisan ceiling lamp made of wowen fiber. As nice as simple.

A Moroccan artisan ceiling lamp made of wowen fiber. As nice as simple.

A Moroccan artisan ceiling lamp made of wowen fiber. As nice as simple.

A fantastic cotton fabric dyed with natural indigo by the method of reserve, batik or madiba. Dogon women would use it as a skirt or shawl. It is made of cotton strips or bands handwoven on the traditional narrow and hanging looms. Subsequently, these bands are sewn together and are dyed achieving spectacular designs that are full of meaning for the local culture. Against the evil eye, good luck, fertility, good harvest, rain, etc.

This is an authentic tribal garment which has been used in a rural environment so it may show imperfections and remarkable signs of wear. Although, from our point of view this doesn’t alter its beauty at all, but we recommend taking this in mind when deciding your purchase. Likewise having been dyed with natural indigo it must be washed by hand, limiting the time in contact with water to the minimum essential and taking care that during drying the piece is well extended.

Great vintage cedar wood chest or -sunduk- from Morocco. Features high use patina giving it a marked personality.

An old carved cedarwood chest from Morocco. Its carved decoration shows a serie of arches that represent the mihrab of mosques.These pieces of furniture or -sunduk- were used to keep valuables belongings such as jewellery, glass, cosmetics, etc.

Great cedarwood chest from Morocco. Its shows a wonderful painted decoration showing vegetal and flower motifs very characteristic from that region. However not all its panels are painted as it was common to decorate only those parts exposed.

A superb old wooden footed chest from the Siroua region in Southerneast Morocco. Its shows a rich and nice painted decoration showing intertwined circles which if very characteristic from the Berber group of the Aït Ouaouzguite. This kind of pieces of furniture or -sunduk- was used by the bride to keep her trousseau and other personal belongings such as jewellery. Not to be missed. Beautiful patina.

Great vintage cedar wood chest or -sunduk- from Morocco. Features high use patina giving it a marked personality.

A superb vintage Moroccan cedarwood wall shelf or spice rack. It is used in the kitchen to store the different jars and cans where spices and other Moroccan traditional seasonings are kept at hand. An original and full of character touch to the look of your kitchen.  

A superb vintage Moroccan cedarwood wall shelf or spice rack. It is used in the kitchen to store the different jars and cans where spices and other Moroccan traditional seasonings are kept at hand. An original and full of character touch to the look of your kitchen.  

A great old Senufo bed probably meant for a child due to its size. A wonderful and original piece of African ethnography.

A great set of four ancient Islamic lampwork glass beads featuring a great spiral/feather pattern high relief decoration in a captivating yellow and whitish colors on a great black core. Full of character and showing a great patina considering their age.

The larger bead is approximately 15mm (long) by 9mm (diameter).

When referring to Islamic beads we follow bead expert Robert K. Liu’s description in Ornament Magazine: “The term Islamic Period Glass Beads is used, similarly to Roman Period Beads, to classify groups of ornaments from specific geographic areas and time periods, with recognizable characteristics including patterns and techniques. In the case of Islamic glass beads we know they originated in the Middle East and flourished mostly between the seventh and twelfth centuries. Their designs display a wide mix of techniques and styles: millefiori/mosaic (including pierced mosaic pad beads), trailed, filigreed, combed, fused rods, segmented/blown, folded (an Islamic innovation, Holland and Holland 2006) and those derived from amulet shapes, like charmcase beads with loops.” Islamic glass beads travelled from their sources of production in the Middle and Near East together with the expansion of Islam to North Africa, Southern Europe (Spain), India and the Far East and they reached areas well beyond Islam’s actual limits of expansion such as Northern Europe. They also flowed into Sub-Saharan Africa, where they were valued and cherished for centuries in the Malian ancient kingdoms as a symbol of status and played an important role in the communities’ rites and ceremonies such a burials, initiation or dowries.

Lamp working is one of the main techniques for the making of glass beads. Lamp or lamp work beads were made using glass canes that were reheated to a temperature of up to 1000 ºC by means of a blowtorch or blowlamp and which were then wound onto a coated iron rod to avoid the molten glass from sticking to the metal. The beads produced by the artisan by these means could be then further decorated by re-heating the bead using the same lamp work method and applying colored glass rods or glass cane inserts to the surface of the bead creating an endless variation of patterns and making of each bead one of its own.   

A great panel or fragment of a Moroccan antique cedarwood wooden ceiling from Morocco. It features a lovely painted decoration which makes it a very eye-catching piece. A truly artisan piece of art full of decorative possibilities. From a headboard to a table. You name it but do not let it go!.

A lovely antique earthenware vessel from the Rif region in Northern Morocco. It was mainly used for the cleansing deemed necessary by the Coran before praying. Rare authentic ancestral beauty. 

A nice and old berber decorated wood box traditionally used to store the rock sugar used to prepare the famous morocan tea. Superb patina.

Old small wood chest from Morocco. So worn by use and superb patina.

Bonita olla  antigua de barro con tapa procedente la región montañosa del Rif, al norte de Marruecos. Este tipo de olla, con formas más sinuosas que la “Guedra”, se emplea para preparar comidas con bastante líquido, como guisos, purés o la famosa Jarera (sopa).

Great old Berber earthenware vessel from the Tata region in Morocco. Superb and warm patina due to years and years of traditional use.

Pequeña botella de cerámica decorada generalmente usada por los campesinos del Rif, a modo de cantimplora de agua cuando salen a sus labores diarias al campo. También utilizada para guardar y servir el licor de higo Ma’a Al Hayat.

A beautiful old earthenware vessel from the Rif region in Northern Morocco used to collect butter, honey or sugar. The pottery from the Rif region is handmade by women using the coil technique. Once the piece is molded, it will be polished and a slip (engobe) is applied to it. Traditional tribal designs are painted with natural dyes that, in addition to decorating, have prophylactic and flattering effects. Finally, it is cooked in primitive adobe ovens or buried in embers. Authentic ancestral beauty!

A lovely old earthenware pot -guedra- from the Rif region in Northern Morocco. Used to prepare food. The pottery from the Rif region is handmade by women using the coil technique. Once the piece is molded, it will be polished and a slip (engobe) is applied to it. Traditional tribal designs are painted with natural dyes that, in addition to decorating, have prophylactic and flattering effects. Finally, it is cooked in primitive adobe ovens or buried in embers. Authentic ancestral beauty!