My Marrakesh: The Bamako shopping adventures of a Marrakech girl

I have been back from Bamako for a week now. What did I buy, you ask.....?

Hmmmm.....yards of hand loomed and hand printed textiles..... Miles of African trade beads, some vintage, some hundreds of years old.....

A medley of black and white - two colors that are always right. The rugs made up of sewn together strips, the cloth woven on narrow looms.

Slick, graphic coils of record beads - oh hundreds, oh thousands of vintage discs . A graphic point of focus when displayed.

Meters of Bogolan cloth the color of the earth, some new, some vintage.

Strands and strands of antique glass trade beads, so luminous, and so very old.

Hand dyed indigo and lustrous bazen cloth. How I wish I had bought more.

Strand after strand of muted blue glass trade beads. Nearly 200 years old. A dealer from Holland almost cried when she saw that I had bought the lot of 20 for display on two stands. I gave her two strands, just to be nice.

And there's more..... But a girl can't reveal all her secrets, now can she..............

Comments

i would kill for those rugs. my parents are planning a trip to marrakech or tunis and i wonder if i can get them to bring back anything like that for me. what do you think?

Posted by:erin | December 13, 2007 at 01:12 AM

You tease! I can't wait to see the rest. Hurry, hurry.I adore the blue glass beads. Love it so much. What is the significance of the record beads? Intriguing.

Posted by:Liberty Post Editor | December 13, 2007 at 01:34 AM

I just bought some tables napkins that are just like the black and white fabric in the first pic.

Posted by:barbara | December 13, 2007 at 01:38 AM

AH Those rugs... My heart...

Posted by:decor8holly | December 13, 2007 at 02:46 AM

Wow Maryam! What a haul!!! I adore those beads and fabrics. I can't wait to see what you do with them.

Hmmm... a trip to Africa just for beads... I can see my husband crying over a maxed out credit card and sitting on the floor with his head in hands surrounded by beads.

Posted by:Mim | December 13, 2007 at 04:28 AM

Tapping foot anxiously - she is going to open a online shop isn't she? She said she would. You know, no pressure or anything.

Posted by:Mary | December 13, 2007 at 05:00 AM

Retail therapy in Africa. Oh, to have those types of things at your fingertips! Color me jealous. Will you be making beaded crazy quilts-Moroccan style??

Posted by:Melanie | December 13, 2007 at 06:01 AM

oh, GOODNESS, i am in love with that last stack of fabric... but they are all gorgeous. i'm completely jealous...

Posted by:cassandra | December 13, 2007 at 07:19 AM

be still my beating heart!!!! oh those beads!! you are one lucky lucky girl!!!

Posted by:shelbi | December 13, 2007 at 07:23 AM

Oh! How wonderful, all of them! Those black and white rugs are lovely! And the colorless glass beads... They seem really multifunctional, to be used also in home decoration, not only as a necklace.

Posted by:Anna | December 13, 2007 at 08:52 AM

I can't wait to find out what you are going to do with all those treasures!

Posted by:meredith | December 13, 2007 at 11:21 AM

Oh but you have to reaveal all your secrets we so want to see EVERYTHING

Posted by:carolyn | December 13, 2007 at 11:21 AM

Please open a shop!

On second thoughts, please don't. I would never be able to face my mother again (I promised I would stop shopping)!

Posted by:Rachel | December 13, 2007 at 12:23 PM

It is time to open Maryam's museum. And I will buy the first ticket

Posted by:Anrosh | December 13, 2007 at 01:51 PM

oh my god. what wonderfull things you bought! I am so jealeous. can't wait to see the rest!

Posted by:nay-k | December 13, 2007 at 02:36 PM

Such wonderful finds! Definitely a benefit of all the travel required for your job!

Posted by:Paris Parfait | December 13, 2007 at 02:56 PM

Oh! How pretty! Maybe you can tell us how you plan to use all those beautiful beads!

Posted by:Travelingmama | December 13, 2007 at 03:29 PM

Oh my god, this is heaven. I want it all. The colors, the textures, the ideas swimming around in my head - a cosmic torrent of creativity.

Posted by:Paula | December 13, 2007 at 03:31 PM

wonderful colors and patterns,i love the colors
and i'm crazy about beads

Posted by:all*over*print | December 13, 2007 at 03:54 PM

I'm actually drooling. Gorgeous fabric and gorgeous beads--is there a better combination? I think not.

Posted by:ambika | December 13, 2007 at 04:23 PM

Soooooooo beautiful!!!!! Thank goodness I can live vicariously through you during my time of rooting.

Posted by:dorian | December 13, 2007 at 05:22 PM

Maryam, what great loot! It was kind of you to offer that woman some beads. I love the first set of black and white textiles, you're right, they're always in style. Also, the tropical-snake colored disk necklaces and entrancing. I love seeing what you bring back from your travels! Do your kids just dance around the door when you come home to see what you got?