Furnishing Textile (arkilla kereka)

Fulani people, Tillabéri region, African

Late 19th-early 20th century

The nomadic Fulani people, related to the Berbers of North Africa, follow their herds across the Sahel region of West Africa. They furnish their tents with large woolen textiles whose structure, materials, colors, and design patterns recall North African fabrics. The diamond shape here symbolizes an eye, which the Fulani believe protects against evil.