Madder, indigo, walnut — the three colours I always have ready
Aït Hadiddou, Middle Atlas, Morocco
Documented by Fatima Ait Ali
Cooperative verified— what this means
A cooperative or artisanal ministry has vouched for this artisan. The institution stakes its reputation on the introduction.
I work with three dyes: madder for red and terracotta, indigo for blue, walnut hull for brown and black. Everything else I make from combinations of these, or I leave the wool undyed. Synthetic dyes are brighter but they lie about what age does to colour.
Cultural context
A synthetic red stays the same colour for twenty years and then suddenly fades to orange all at once. A madder red shifts slowly over time — warmer, softer, more interesting. The same piece looks different in ten years and better in twenty. When I tell buyers this they usually say it is a feature. They are right. But it is also just the honest thing to say: natural dyes age differently. You should know this before you commission.
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Fatima Ait Ali
Wool weaving — Middle Atlas rugs · Aït Hadiddou, Middle Atlas
Cooperative verified— what this means
A cooperative or artisanal ministry has vouched for this artisan. The institution stakes its reputation on the introduction.