Traditions brodées du Maroc à l’Afghanistan

In the textiles of Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA), embroidery is more than decoration. For centuries, it has been used to express identity, social status and cultural beliefs.

Garments and everyday objects are embellished with thread, beads, coins, amulets and jewelry, often carrying symbolic meanings. Spanning from Morocco and Algeria to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, these traditions reveal millennia of cultural exchange shaped by trade routes, migration, diverse landscapes and the meeting of religious and urban traditions.

Chapan (Man’s Coat), late 19th or early 20th century
Uzbekistan