SOLD : This is a beautiful traditionally hand-woven pure wool Moroccan cushion cover made from hand-spun wool grown by the weaver in the Ait Hamsa region of the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It’s a dramatic landscape with a long flat plain of chocolate brown soil growing predominantly onions along with family plots and either side are dramatic mountain ranges. Clusters of simple flat-roofed houses line the road. It was freezing...but the welcome was warm. 

It is a region near the town of Gigou and where a small cooperative of women weave beautiful cushions and rugs, amazing wedding shawls, bedspreads and bags.  Their work is done exactly as it has been done for generations on a simple vertical loom, and although they did have a space with a few looms squeezed in, it was tiny, so they also have a loom in their homes. We visited a few homes to see the work in progress. I bought this gorgeous cushion cover as i fell in love with the beautiful mid blue colour which i hadn’t seen much before. It is a much larger size than most Moroccan cushions - 76 x 46 cms and is backed in a plain, thick woven black handwoven woollen cloth. 

I have watched women weave this type of pattern. It is painstaking as it is counted and incredibly intricate. The diamond shape it one of the most important symbols in Moroccan life and design...as it is in many ancient cultures and represents the womb, or on a less deep level, protection from the evil eye.  Inside each of the diamonds are 9 more diamonds in colours of red, orange, pink, yellow and green. Other colours of white and black highlight this design masterpiece.

As in these traditional cushion designs where zips are not used, there is an opening for stuffing which is then simply sewn closed.