Saharan

Overview

The pre-Saharan and Saharan south. Textiles shaped by nomadic life, trans-Saharan trade routes, and the visual cultures of communities who moved through the desert margins.

Visual Grammar

Geometric, highly structured, and often deeply symbolic. The palette draws on the mineral colours of the landscape: rust, ochre, deep indigo, charcoal. Compositions are frequently directional — designed to be read from one end, not as an allover field.

Technique Traditions

Flatweave is dominant. Many pieces were functional objects — tent dividers, saddle bags, floor coverings — and the construction reflects that: durable, reversible, built to travel.