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Gnawa Lila Cowrie Noir

Gnawa Lila Cowrie Noir

Let’s talk a bit about couture because Gnawa culture isn’t just about the music….

Regular price $275.00
  • THE DETAILS
    Gnawa Lila Cowrie Noir
    Gnawa Lila Cowrie Noir
    Gnawa Lila Cowrie Noir
    Gnawa Lila Cowrie Noir
    Gnawa Lila Cowrie Noir

    Gnawa Lila Cowrie Noir

    The Lila Cowrie artwork is an abstraction of the nirvana-like state participants reach during a Lila, in which they often break into swooping dance moves, as well as the floral embroidery of the Gnawa musicians' clothing and the cowrie shells adorning their belts and hats.

    Lila Cowrie Noir incorporates a color palette of blue, green, blush, grey, mustard and yellow against a black backdrop.

    53" x 55"

    80% cotton, 20% silk

    Hand-finished edges

    Made in Italy

    Dry clean

  • THE STORY
    gnawa-lila-cowrie-noir

    That’s right. It’s not just about the music.

    There’s also fashion and style to consider.

    Bright tunics representing the seven colors of the culture.

    Embroidery stitched onto the tunics forming intricate patterns.

    Caps perched on the head of each musician, some with tassels that sway in unison with the movements of the body.

    And a detail you can’t miss are all the cowrie shells adorning the caps and the belts, rat-a-tatting against each other. It’s an ode to Gnawa’s sub-Saharan heritage.

    Add this visual symphony with the melodic cadences of Gnawa song and it’s a delight for the senses.

  • THE PROCESS
    The cotton and silk prints add texture to the digital art renderings of the Lila Cowrie design.