The Siwa, or Swa or T-Swa, are a Berber population that emerged in the sixteenth century, and are renowned for their ability to establish settlements as fast as they dismantle them. Today, the Siwa still are nomads who struggle against the state and resist being engulfed by any sort of institution or established government. Until the twentieth century, they were one of the most isolated ethnicities in the world and consequently developed a unique culture.
The Siwa created a highly complex weaving technique, which was (and continues to be) manufactured only by women. Originally they worked exclusively with silk but subsequently started to manufacture cotton and wool. Siwa textiles are also known for their distinctive colors, patterns, and forms. Exploring vertical and parallel lines, weavers fill in the textile with striking color combinations of black, dark green, orange, red, and yellow. The tassels left at the edges complement the pieces, highlighting the colors that are combined within. In a celebration of the dates found in the desert region and oases the Siwa inhabited, they explored the variations of the black color of the fruit’s outer skin.
An art crafted by women in a domestic environment, Siwa textiles were widely used in rituals and festive occasions, as was the shawl exhibited at MASP, created at the turn of the twentieth century with the aim of enriching a bride’s trousseau.
— Lilia Moritz Schwarcz, curadora adjunta, MASP, 2019
