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Man’s hooded cape (Akhnif)

UnknownLate 19th – early 20th centuries

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Israel

In the southern Atlas Mountains, the akhnif, a hooded cape, was a standard man’s garment worn by both Muslims and Jews. It was typically black, and there was an intricate woven orange decoration on the back in a pattern resembling an eye.
In compliance with local laws, Jews wore the garment inside out so as to mark them as Jews. Thus only the dangling threads of the inner side were visible, and only when the akhnif was rolled up to the shoulders was the pattern revealed in all its splendor.
B73.1076

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  • Title: Man’s hooded cape (Akhnif)
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date Created: Late 19th – early 20th centuries
  • Location Created: Atlas Mountains, Morocco
  • Physical Dimensions: L: 92; W: 300 cm
  • Provenance: Gift of Baroness Alix de Rothschild, Paris
  • Type: Man’s hooded cape (akhnif)
  • Photographer: (C) Mauro Magliani
  • Medium: Goat hair, woven and embroidered
  • Bibliographic References: The Israel Museum, Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2005 Juhasz, Esther (ed.), The Jewish Wardrobe from the Collection of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 5 Continents Editions, Milan and The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, 2012
The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

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