Morocco
Hzam (Wedding Belt)
Early 1800s
Silk lampas weave, ikat, self-fringe
14 x 148 inches (35.56 x 375 92 centimeters)
Purchase: The Reverend and Mrs. Van S. Merle-Smith, Jr. Endowment Fund, 1997
1997.044.000
Belts of this type were woven in Fez, Morocco and worn by women as part of festive costumes, probably continuing as wedding attire after they had gone out of fashion for other occasions. Some motifs on this belt have particular meanings and some are purely decorative. The eight-pointed star is one of the most common decorative designs in Islamic textiles, and the pattern of repeating stairs and doors can be traced to Hispano-Moresque designs of the 1400s, which were brought into Morocco after the fall of Granada in Spain in 1492. The "hand of Fatima" motif, considered to have protective powers, appears on both ends.