Berber Tattooing: in Morocco's Middle Atlas

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Today, there are lots of misconceptions regarding the people of North Africa. Amazighs are often mistaken for Arabs or associated with people of the Middle East by Westerners. I like every art include this body art though I haven't any tattoo in my body. Beautiful tattoo design here. In past times in Iran, the upper class women would be tattooed with a beard-like pattern. This practice has passed away as well, but it is reported that "the demand for tattoos among Iranian and other middle eastern women has exploded. Iranians who are tattooed, however, must keep them under wraps due to the authorities." The history of tattoos in North Africa, the Middle East, and Balkans by tattoo expert Lars Krutak, cultural anthropologist and technical advisor. Despite this deep-rooted history, the practice is dying out due to a mixture of increasing religiosity and the spread of western fashions.

The tattoo tells a story, of the position in society, the transition from childhood to adulthood, sexuality, one can learn a lot from a person through the marks inscribed on his skin among the Berbers. Throughout history, tattoos have been used to beautify the body, inscribe symbols onto the skin, mark out ethnic identity and express spirituality. Berber weddings hold significant cultural significance, symbolising joy, and community cohesion. The festivities span three days, filled with exuberant singing, dancing, and abundant culinary delights. The bride takes center stage, adorned in elegant attire and embellished with henna tattoos. i am going to answer Lola , You don't know History !!! So please you can learn About Amazigh and Dhiya ... And what happens before savage arabic comes to our country ....... if u don't know history u don't have a right to comment .... The Berbers, indigenous to North Africa, have a rich and ancient culture. Their traditional crafts, including jewellery, pottery, weaving, and henna art, hold great value and have been passed down for generations.There are many abstract elements to Berber tattoo designs and symbols, yet many others are reoccurring , such as : There is such a rich archive of material throughout the book, from photographs of your travels to letters and interview snippets. Did you recall any particularly fond memories through its creation? Women see the frog’s song as pure because this animal is deemed sacred as it lives in the rare waters of the desert. Felix had a flowing way of drawing. I love his lines and colours in all of his designs. One of my favourites is the dragon and opium pipe he drew for a client in Goa, and of course all the little sundowns over the sea with a few palm trees which he created. I love his psychedelic and freehand work, particularly his forearm which he designed and tattooed on himself in 1978. I also like his traditional flash with hearts and roses and I have two of these which he designed for me tattooed on my arms; one is a series of hearts and a rose with our kids’ names in scrolls and the other is a heart with two bluebirds and a scroll which reads “Felix Forever”.

Berber tattoos represent a cherished form of traditional body art in Morocco. Primarily located on the face, they can also be found on women’s hands and ankles. The tattoos are crafted by applying a paste to the skin and delicately tapping it with a needle to form the design.

There is a wide diversity of representations of Amazigh symbols throughout Greater Tamazgha regarding Amazigh tattoos. Maya identifies six symbols with different meanings in most of North Africa. This trunk tattoo symbolises the rootedness and connexion between the earth, the sky, the divine, and the world and earth energy. He already saw the inevitability of this in the 1990s, as popularity is bound to grow in almost any field. He always said that competition is a good thing, as it can only bring forth a better quality of work in the end. I believe he would have regretted the loss of the circus flavour, the rebel and outsider atmosphere of tattooing. This is what had attracted us to it in the first place. My friend was blown away when he saw his grandmother and aunties reflected in the images and sketches of Berber women’s leg tattoos. That warmed my heart and made it the kind of gift that keeps on giving. The traditional tattoos have varied meanings. Some are tribal affiliations, some are "magical" in connotation (to ward off evil, etc.), and some are for beautification.

Berber Tattooing” is a unique and tender record of the tribal skin art of Morocco’s Middle Atlas. The result of a series of chance encounters, Felix & Loretta’s Leu’s road trip in 1988, opened a doorway into the intimate world of the women of the Berber tribes. In this book, the women tell their individual stories. It revealed the traditions of the tattoo in their culture, together with insights into the lives that they led. Sensitively captured in drawings from the time by Aia Leu, the faces of the Berber women speak of a tribal culture that was fast disappearing even then. As tattoo artists, Felix and Loretta found common ground with the Berber families, gaining unprecedented access to this sparsely documented Berber art form. This book of previously unpublished work, collected nearly thirty years ago, is a tribute to the art of tattoos, tradition, family, and love.But whilst many are well-acquainted with eldest son Filip Leu’s Japanese-style works (thanks largely to the tattoo publications which grew in number and accessibility during his rise), fewer people have been able to appreciate the art of his father and mentor Felix Leu (1945 - 2002). Today, the term “Berbers” is still mainly used in the West to portray the native inhabitants of North Africa, which the Amazighs disagree with and find pejorative. Jedwel" is the Berber word for a tattoo and can be translated as "talisman." Girls were traditionally tattooed to mark the phases of their lives.

Some tattoos also signify a girl's transition into womanhood and, typically, a group of girls of a similar age get tattooed at the same time. The rosette, composed of triangles: the one with the point up represents fire and virility, while the triangle with the point down represents water and femininity ANY TATTOO ENTHUSIAST WILL HAVE HEARD OF THE LEU’S - THE SWISS-BASED TATTOO FAMILY FAMED FOR PIONEERING AND EVOLVING THE ART-FORM OVER TWO GENERATIONSMen, among the Berbers, are rarely tattooed, except among the Zemmour, the Beni-Mguild, and the Aït-Youssi. But beyond the innovative designs flowing throughout the book, it is Felix’s philosophy, work ethic and outlook on life which strikes the reader. His charisma and energy shine through Loretta’s words. Felix Leu’s consistent pursuit to further his craft is humbling and inspiring. Here, Middle East Eye explores the different tattoo designs of women across the region and the meanings behind them. Amazigh Berber tattoos were undoubtedly initially a distinctive sign, a mark of a tribe. Each clan had its particular designs and decorative composition. All the clan's women were labeled, willingly or forcibly, at the age of puberty. One of the reasons for that is the ability to recognize them in case of kidnappings that followed wars, fights, and raids.