Prayer shawl (Talit) with silver atara from North Africa

The talit is the four-cornered prayer shawl, fitted with the ritual fringes (tsitsit) prescribed by the Torah, worn during morning prayers; its reinforced collar border, the atara, indicates the side to be worn uppermost and facilitates its arrangement. In North Africa, tradition often adorns this atara with a band woven or embroidered with shining metallic thread, making it a distinctive decorative element. The talit itself, made of wool, follows the rules of fringe-making particular to each tradition. This object, at once a garment and a cultic accessory, accompanies the faithful throughout adult life.