1688 SOLD Antique Mahmoudi Blue Bakhnoug Shawl - Textile Art Masterpiece

Sold to a discerning Antique Art-Lover

***

Mahmoudi (woman's mantle) Bakhnoug Wool Wedding Shawl

Amazing Variety of SPECTACULAR geometric and abstract motifs.

They form an alphabet through which declarations of belonging, of faith and messages of goodwill and hope are expressed.

The noteworthy element about this textile is the array of 24 motifs along one of the edges. Of these 22 are unique and the pair near the centre-line are mirror-images.

The motifs as well as the borders use negative spaces well to create perfect balance between the white & the blue.

Wool with cotton supplementary patterns, tie-dyed at ends. Red dots dyed at the ends

The piece is dyed after weaving and the cotton resists the indigo.

Berber people from the border of Tunisia and Libya

From the early-mid 1900s

Has some minor repairs. Has color run as can be seen in the photos.The indigo is not even across the textile and some amount of patchiness is visible as a result of the hand-dyeing process. The rarity of the extensive variety of symbols overshadows these unfortunate issues in this textile.

These textiles are very important to the family and so rarely available commercially.

***

This item has spent a lifetime being used for the purpose of its creation with the original artist/user. Signs of this life lived heartily may be present on the piece in the form of stains, thread loss, loose threads, holes, tears, color run and other imperfections. Therefore the condition must be assumed to be “not” perfect. More photos of such imperfections will be provided on request.

***