Figure 1.-- This looks like a portrait taken by French photographersho set up shop in Aleria. After the development of inexpemsove albumen prits Europeans began collecting images of life in their colonies. Europeam phtographers began setting up studio om the colonies to produce these images. This portrait of a Kbyle mother and her children is a good example of the ethnigraphi images produced for sale in France.

Kbyle clothing is fairly well known. The image on he previous page shows what looks like very poor Kabyles, perhaps a rural faqir. It is probably not a good representation of how the Kabyl dressed. We also see images of very well dressed Kabyl. Traditional dress for Kabyel men wore loosely flowing robes, and a woolen burnoose--a long cloak of coarse woollen fabric with a hood. One might say the garment worn by Obi wan kenobi in the first Starwars movie. We assume that George Lucas and his costume desiners were inspired by the Berber garments. The robe/burnoose was draped over a woolen skullcap, and a broad-brimmed straw hat. We also see long white scarves wrapped into turbans that cover their heads and necks. Kabyle women wear bright cotton garments, usually woven in serpentlike stripes flowing. There are ornamented dresses. Silk scarfs and other colorful head covers were common. The bright colors and patterns of the women's garments today have ttracted some fashion interest. Older women might have tattoos on their foreheads after having their first male heir.

Sources

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Created: 1:06 AM 9/8/2004
Last updated: 11:05 PM 7/9/2016