Iraqi Marsh Arab Wedding Blanket

Decorative

£750.00

A very rare Izar, or wedding blanket from the Ma’dan (Marsh Arab) community of Southern Iraq.

The Ma’dan people lived in isolation in the marshes between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in what used to be ancient Babylon. During the late 1980s the Iraqi government, then led by Saddam Hussein, drained the wetlands, leading to the dispersal of the community, abandoning its long-unchanged traditional lifestyle.

Young unmarried women would embroider the blankets by hand for their bridal chests, and mothers also made them for their sons before their wedding. The embroidery could vary in the density of its patterns; the heavier the embroidery, the more precious the blanket. Each was composed of two lengths of hand-woven cloth that were sewn together once the embroidery was completed.

This is a really lovely, vibrantly coloured example which has been professionally cleaned. It features the characteristic five pairs of medallions arranged vertically on each half, decorated with stars, flowers and geometric patterns in rich red, orange, gold and blue hues.

Circa 1980s.

Dimensions:

Length: 240 cm (7 feet 10.5 inches)

Width: 160 cm (5 feet 3 inches)

Please enquire for delivery cost.