Maghreb arts take center stage at new exhibit in the U.S.

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is showcasing a new exhibit titled "Arts of the Maghreb: North African Textiles and Jewelry," which celebrates the artistry of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

The exhibit includes over 100 pieces, created in the late 1800s and early 1900s, that highlight the skills of the region's diverse communities, including Amazigh (Berber), Arab, Muslim, and Jewish artisans.

Visitors can see opulent textiles adorned with distinctive Moroccan embroidery and intricate Algerian jewelry designs. One of the centerpiece items is an “akhnif”, a thick, hooded wool cloak woven as a single piece on an upright loom. It was traditionally worn by shepherds in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains.

The collection was originally gathered by CMA founder J.H. Wade II, an heir of a prominent industrialist, during his travels in North Africa. Many of these works were among the museum's first acquisitions when it opened in 1916, and some are being displayed for the first time.

“One of the main goals of this exhibition is to communicate the rich, multicultural, and complex societies across North Africa,” says Kristen Windmuller-Luna, CMA’s Curator of African Art.

The exhibit opens on November 3 and will run until October 12, 2025.