The exhibition is the first synthesis of the art of Berber pottery in Algeria. At once potters, weavers and embroiderers, Berber women from rural societies are custodians of an ancestral culture and know-how passed down from generation to generation.
The exhibition focuses on a form of authentic folk art and aims to emphasise a very personal expression which saw the creative genius of simple artisans flourish. These pieces, conserved at the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, originate from the regions of Nedroma and Chenoua in Algeria, as well as Greater and Lesser Kabylia.
Their function is utilitarian - they were intended for household needs - but can also be decorative and ceremonial, especially for weddings. The decorations, done mainly with geometric motifs, evoke the fertility of the earth and of women. The purity of form, the simplicity and spontaneity of decoration give these objects a particular charm.
- Exhibition curator: Mrs Marie-France Vivier, former curator of the North African collections at the musée du quai Branly—Jacques Chirac
- Number of works: 100
- Surface area required: 300 m²
- Catalogue of the exhibition available (96 pages, Co-published by musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac's/5 Continents, 2007)
This exhibition has been presented at:
- musée de la Civilisation, Québec, Canada, from May 22nd 2008 to January 21st 2009
- musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, from June 19th to September 16th 2007
