The art of embroidery is accomplished
through a defined number of stitch types and may accompany other materials like
metal strips, pearls, beads, feathers, and sequins. Embroidery can be found on
hats, coats, blankets, shirts, jeans, and socks, among others.
In Morocco, there are two general
types of embroidery, that of Rabat and that of Fez. Rabat embroidery (terz
rbati) is usually produced with a machine. This method is commonly used in
Marrakech. Rabat embroidery made by hand is called lmessous while machine
production is of two different sorts: lmkess has two or three kinds of pattern
and costs 700-750 dirhams; and traditional takhrag, which has 10 to 12 patterns
with colors and can cost from 600 to 1500 dirhams. The fabric used for this
type of embroidery is called jim or kamkha and costs 80 dirhams/meter. By
machine, a worker typically requires four to five days to fulfill an order; by
hand, it can take between one and two months to prepare.
Produced in Meknes, Fez embroidery
(terz lehssab) is only made by hand and can cost between 1000 dirhams and 4000
dirhams. The fabric used for Fez embroidery is called “la toile” and costs 40 dirhams/meter.
There are two kinds of Fez embroidery, terz lehssab and peinture à l’aiguille.
Terz lehssab is generally designed in green, takes a lot of time and is often
very expensive. Peinture à l’aiguille (needle painting) above all seeks to represent
figures. Needle painting is an ancient technique, known all over Europe. This type
of embroidery was closest to painting in the nineteenth century. Its appearance
is mostly due to the irregular use of stitches that overlap each other.
Point de croix (cross stitch) was introduced
in Europe during the Middle Ages and widely disseminated during the Renaissance.
By 1500, cross-stitch patterns circulated and typically presented floral themes,
heraldic and religious subjects, and rich symbolism, including crosses, chalices
and doves. Cross stitch was still taught in schools until World War II.
Other types of embroidery available
in Morocco are more recent, including Turkish embroidery (prepared in
Casablanca and only on djellabas and caftans) and zemmouri embroidery, made in
Casablanca and Marrakech.
Fabrics often used include silk,
wool, cotton, linen, fine metal gold or silver thread, and more recently,
synthetic filaments. Variation in surface textures and embossed patterns can be
created through padding. Some types of embroidery are defined by the nature of
the thread used (for example, wool embroidery using wool on combed linen). Other
styles are defined by the nature of the base material used, such as embroidery
gauze, openwork embroidery (done on fabric having the appearance of a net) and
embroidery on canvas. Some techniques of embroidery allow for the addition of
various decorative items, including beads or sequins.
Embroidery thread is generally manufactured
in cotton, rayon, and novelty yarns, as well as in silk, wool, and linen. There
are two general kinds of thread, sabra and lmabroum (from Spain). Surface
embroidery techniques, including chain stitch and laid work, are the most economical
in terms of thread.
Owners of embroidery boutiques
typically get their products from 20 to 40 professional women who embroider
fabrics. Before beginning their work, these women usually draw on fabrics by
using a tool called (lemrema) that facilitates the labor. Embroidery can have
negative effects on women’s health, starting with the eyes, the back as well as
the ever-present danger of needle injuries while working.
Moroccans are the biggest customers for
this handicraft, because embroidered clothing is traditionally worn in a number
of ceremonies, including weddings and circumcisions. For their part, tourists generally
buy tablecloths and other meal-presentation fabrics as souvenirs.
Glossary
Douda lhrir: silk worm
Gharja: stitch, a loop of thread or
yarn resulting from a single pass of the needle in sewing, knitting, or crocheting
Ghzal: yarn
Hrir: silk
Jim and Kamkha: types of fabric
Ktan: linen
Lemrema: a tool of embroidery
Lmkess: a type of Rabat embroidery
Ltartar: sequins, small, shiny disks
sewn onto clothing for decoration
Sabra: a kind of thread
Souf: wool
Terz: embroidery, also known by the
French term, broderie
- Compiled and composed by Aimad
Abounnasser, Youssra Jaafari, and Rabab Rahhali
