these vintage pieces, handira, are hand-loomed from sheep’s wool and cotton in tiny berber villages in the atlas mountains. tradition and skill are passed from generation to generation; prospective brides and their relatives patiently sewed each sequin by hand.

handira are symbolic of magical protection - it is believed that if the weaver takes care in remembering the number and combination of threads to produce a design, the finished textile will be imbued with talismanic power and instilled with baraka (divine protection), acting as a “power shield” against the evil eye.

please email studio@lavivahome.com to see our current collection of handira.