Wedding Headscarf

The use of henna to dye or paint textiles was especially popular among the Chleuh (Shluh) Berbers people of the Anti Atlas of Morocco where it is was valued for its baraka or "blessing power". Henna was used to decorate wedding blankets and women's costume accessories, such as headscarves and wrappers. The women of the Ida or Nadif sub-group are known for their beautiful weavings and painted scarves. This type of headscarf has only recently become known to researchers. Woven in wool with an open weave construction, the patterning has a distinctive U-shaped format with the dominant use of deep henna, red and gold. The border has three complementing bands and a fringe finish. The practice of henna painting on textiles is thought to have ended around the middle of the twentieth century.