The geometric vocabulary of Nubian weaving — before and after the dam

Technique

1. 1

   Set the warp on the floor loom. Nubian weaving uses a balanced plain weave — the warp and weft are the same weight. The pattern is created entirely by the colour sequence in the warp.

2. 2

   Thread the heddles. In plain weave, every alternate warp thread passes through a separate heddle — depressing one pedal raises half the warp, creating a shed through which the weft passes.

3. 3

   Wind the weft onto a shuttle. The weft colour is typically a single colour per piece, or changes in blocks to create the horizontal stripe effect.

4. 4

   Pass the shuttle through each shed and beat the weft down with the beater. Even tension is essential — uneven beating creates wavy edges.

5. 5

   For complex multicolour warp patterns, the colour sequence must be planned and wound before the loom is dressed. Once the warp is set, the pattern cannot be changed.

6. 6

   Finish the cloth by cutting from the loom and knotting the warp ends to form a fringe, or hemming them in.

Materials

• Cotton
  Source: Purchased; previously grown locally before displacement

  Nubian cotton from the Nile Valley was a long-staple variety with particular softness. This variety is no longer grown by our community. Commercial Egyptian cotton is a reasonable substitute. I note this difference because it is honest.

• Pomegranate rind (red dye)
  Source: Collected locally — pomegranates grow in the Aswan area

  Pomegranate rind gives a warm terracotta to deep red depending on mordant. It is the dye my mother used and her mother before her.

• Indigo (blue)
  Source: Purchased

  Nubian geometric patterns traditionally used a deep blue that is difficult to achieve without indigo. The cooperative maintains a small dye batch.

What the patterns mean

• The wide stripe (fadig)

  The dominant stripe in most Nubian cloth. The width and colour of the fadig identifies the weaver's lineage in traditional usage. Each family line had its own characteristic combination.

• The separator line (kirba)

  A narrow single-thread stripe between the wider blocks. Always in a contrasting colour. It gives the eye a resting point and prevents the colours from bleeding into each other visually.