Old Double Pair Berber Bracelets – ASBIA’ IQUORAIN – Ait Atta Tribe – Morocco

Early to mid 20th century. Tribal Metal gr. 1.363,5 (48.1 oz.). The bracelets with the tips are cm. 11,5 width x cm. 4,1 high (4.53″ x  1.61″); inner diameter cm. 5,8 (2.28″). The others bracelets are cm. 8,0 width x cm. 3,2 high (3.15″ x 1.26″); inner diameter cm. 6,1 (2.40″).

These bracelets, asbia’ iquorain, were originally worn by women of the Ait Atta tribe to defend themselves during raids

The Ait Atta are a large Berber tribal confederation of South eastern Morocco. They are divided into “five fifths” (khams khmas), all said to descend from the forty sons of their common ancestor Dadda Atta: these “fifths” are the Ait Ouallal, Ait Ouahlim, Ait Isfoul, Ait Yazza and Ait Ounbgi. They speak Central Atlas Tamazight. The Ait Atta originated as a political entity in the Jbel Saghro region in the 16th century with the founding of their traditional capital Igherm Amazdar.

For similar examples:

• p. 21 of “A World of Bracelets”, by Anne Van Cutsem;
• p. 262 of “Africa Adorned”, by Angela Fisher, Collins Harvill;
• p. 129 of “Bijoux du Maroc”, by Jacques and  Marie-Rose Rabaté, Edisud / Le Fennec.

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