Moroccan Rugs

People of Morocco

Moroccan Rugs have become the rug of choice for many interior designers as well as private consumers. They don’t have a long history and are most notable for their dynamic colorful modernist designs as well as for their strong sense of geometric structure (and abstract designs). None so far are datable to before the mid nineteenth century, when their production began as an adaptation of central and western Turkish rugs, whose repertoire Moroccan rugs followed closely. Moroccan rugs are nevertheless distinctive in their bolder coloration, and in the more block-like geometry of their composition. The most famous of all were the rugs that were made by the Beni Ourain tribe in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The Beni Ourain Rugs from Morocco are easily recognizable – they are almost always Ivory background, shaggy pile and abstract geometric patterns. What makes Moroccan carpets so desirable these days is the fact that they are so modernist and simplistic – both in color and design -and are considerably less expensive than most of the other antique or vintage rugs in the market today. The vintage, mid-century rugs from Morocco were never made in large sizes – because they had to move from place to place, the people who wove them had to keep the width to under 7′ (about), otherwise the loom would be too large and cumbersome to mount as they move from place to place. These rugs can be also used as transitional pieces by giving a youthful and whimsical feel to any room decor.

The ever-changing interior design trends are in constant demand of a type of rug that can withstand the changes of taste and preference that designers and home owners have. Moroccan carpets and rugs have proven to be just the style of rug that is needed to be versatile enough to be used in various home interior design schemes across the world. With a wide array of colors and styles, it is understandable that these rugs have been some of the most popular on the market for the last century.

Most rugs from Morocco are hand crafted by skilled weavers who have been crafting these masterpieces through the generations. Rug crafting and techniques are often passed down through families and have been used for many years. Moroccan carpets range from the rich and deep color patterns to the very pastel and minimalist.

If you have been looking for the perfect way to accentuate the design of your home, Moroccan carpets are a fabulous choice. They work well in just about any room of the home and are considerably less expensive than most other types of rugs in today’s mark – making them attainable and appreciated by people from all walks of life.

History of Moroccan Rugs and Vintage Moroccan Carpets

Moroccan Rugs Since the invention of the first simple tools, the Berbers and nomadic tribes of Morocco and North Africa have been producing a variety of knotted, flat-woven, and pile carpets. Although the Moroccan textile industry has ancient origins, the majority of dated carpets of the region are less than three hundred years old. Due to geography, the country’s carpets have many unique characteristics and influences. In North Africa, the climate includes arid desert in the Sahara, snow-covered peaks in the High Atlas region, and the humid Mediterranean weather near the coast. The rugs from Morocco can be defined in broad terms as urban or tribal. However, there are many carpet subs-types produced by tribes across the country that reflect influences from Jewish artisans, who fled the rule of King Solomon in 950 B.C., Moorish Arabs who dominated Northern Africa until the 15th Century, and the nearby Ottoman Empire that became a major influence in the later Moroccan carpet design. Unlike many antique Oriental rugs and area rugs with heavy wool pile, traditional rugs from Morocco are exceptionally lightweight and long. In the warm climate of Northern Africa, lightweight, flat-woven carpets were often used as comfortable bed coverings along with thick-pile sleeping mats. In some cases, traditional Moroccan carpets can be more than 14 feet long and six feet wide or large enough to cover the entire family. Moroccan carpets were used as wedding shawls, burial garments, wall hangings, horse saddles, and utilitarian items. In tribal regions, border-less patterns comprised of intricate diamonds and motifs woven in horizontal bands dominated carpet designs. The Beni Ourain people, who inhabit the Rif Mountains near the fortified city of Taza, are known for their unique shaggy Berber carpets popularized in the 20th Century by Le Corbusier and other Mid-Century Modern designers. The tribe’s black and white carpets, diamond-shaped grids, and ancient abstract motifs have become classic Mid-Century furnishings. Moroccan Rugs Weavers in the High Atlas region are famous for producing reversible flat-woven Kilims and pile rugs as well as rugs that include mixed weaving techniques. Traditionally, mixed-woven rugs from the High Atlas region include thick pile bands, borders, and lattice grid work surrounding flat-woven designs. Tribes living in the rugged terrain of the Middle Atlas region, High Atlas region, and Rif Mountains passed down ancient designs from generation to generation. Common motifs used in Moroccan tribal carpets bear an uncanny resemblance to cave paintings found throughout Europe. In the 20th Century, tribal carpet weavers in Morocco produced a carpet that was almost identical of fragments of linen found in Italy that were more than 5,000 years old. In Morocco, cities located on major caravan and trade routes produced carpets with diverse designs influenced by African tribes, Ottoman traders, and traditional Anatolian carpets. Rugs produced in coastal cities like Rabat, Medina, and Salé, receive the most international exposure. Carpets produced in Rabat after the 18th Century incorporate Anatolian carpet designs originating in Turkey. Carpets from Rabat are known for floral elements and diamond-shape lozenges with pronounced borders and a relatively plain field. The historic city of Fes was one of the most important cities in Morocco’s textile industry; according to historical evidence from the 13th Century, there were more than 100 dye workers and approximately 3,000 artisan embroidery studios located in the important trading center. In addition to black and white fibers from sheep and goats, carpet weavers used cochineal insects, madder root, indigo, henna, saffron, and native plants to produce their signature shades. Colors, patterns, and overall style can vary greatly by city, tribe, and era. The combination of local tradition and outside influence is the reason traditional Moroccan carpets are so unique.

Moroccan Rugs and Modern Decor

Antique Moroccan

The term tribal or nomadic rugs immediately conjure up images of exotic Middle Eastern or Central Asian ethnography. In terms of design we tend to think of nomadic rugs as having a complex ornamental repertory of intricate geometric patterns, expressed in a palette of dark, deep colors. One group of rugs and carpets, however, challenges all such assumptions and pre-conceptions – the rugs produced by the nomadic Berber peoples of the Atlas Mountain region of Morocco.

Vintage Moroccan Carpets

In terms of geography Moroccan rugs can hardly be classed as Middle Eastern or Oriental. While the Berber tribes converted to Islam already in the seventh century, and while their tradition of pile rugs was inspired, initially at least, by Middle Eastern carpet production, one can hardly apply an Eastern or Oriental terminology to these carpets, which were woven well to the west of Paris. In terms of design and color as well, Moroccan carpets hardly fit the Oriental nomadic mold. In place of the deep, reserved coloration of Nomadic Asian rugs like Turkomans or Baluches, some carpets from Morocco have riotously bright colors, while others have a cool neutral palette that that would delight the most sophisticated contemporary designer. And in place of the finely detailed and highly organized geometric repetition of Central Asian nomadic rugs, Moroccan weavings display enormous freedom and spontaneity of design, with a flair for bold graphic expressiveness, and, at times, an almost Modern sense of simplicity.

Antique Boujad Carpet #42306, seen above, adapts this sort of design by transforming the checkers into zigzags, essentially prefiguring the visual effects 60’s “Op-Art” painting. Boujad #42304, seen here, takes an abstract pictorial approach. On this piece vaguely architectural elements are dispersed across a variegated soft red ground reminiscent of the desert at sunset, again recalling the effects of mid-twentieth century European abstract painting.

Vintage Moroccan Rugs

Other nomadic Moroccan carpets, especially those of the Beni Ourain tribe, seem to combine a modernist taste for minimalist linearity with the graphic symbolism of primitive art. A rug may be organized around the idea of a large linear diamond grid or lattice, although it is drawn with considerable freedom, with constant shifts in proportion. Within some of the diamonds are various linear symbols, perhaps tribal brands or markings, set against an abrashed tan ground meant to represent the desert sand. This splendid carpet has an atavistic aura, suggesting modes of expression reaching far back into the human past. In some ways it shares the qualities of the finest African Kente cloths or raffia pile weavings of the Congo. But at the same time, its bi-chrome palette has a stridently modern quality and appeal. Another Beni Ourain, seen below, seems to be going for the same kind of effects, but in a much more free-form arrangement, with the various abstract elements or symbols strung loosely across the lovely tan surface.

Vintage Rug From Morocco

All these carpets remind us that the aesthetic of tribal peoples or so-called “primitive” modes of expression can often converge with modern taste and sensibilities. Any of these carpets would fit beautifully within a modernist decorative setting. They have just enough distinction an interest to pull a room together without dominating it. Their abstract linear geometry would complement a range of contemporary furniture designs. Those with neutral coloration would provide an excellent foil for more highly colored furnishings or paintings, just as the examples with vibrant color might complement the neutral coloration of metal or leather furniture and modern sculpture. From any point of view, the nomadic carpets of Morocco offer an enticing range of possibilities and potentials for modern interiors.

Moroccan Rugs: Living in the Atlas Mountains

Moroccan Man walking with horses	Wheat is the main resource for every tribe in the Atlas Mountains and the Atlantic planes. These tribes continue to use the same traditional harvesting methods that have been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years. From the wheat, the tribes process their bounty into flour, which is used to bake fresh bread every morning. Not only is the quality of the breed superb from years of refining the baking process, but it serves as an important source of energy. These families lives depend entirely on the earth and the weather and naturally such important aspects of their lives come through in their art, most specifically their tribal carpets and textiles.
This mill from the 19th century is located in a marvelous valley home to the Beni Ourain tribes. The mill is shared by the community. Each year, the tribes celebrate their annual olive harvest together and use this mill to process their olives into extremely high quality oil.	Mill in Morocco The “Lêben” (a simple white sour cheese) is a gift from nature. Only in the spring and summer do these tribes collect the milk from their goats. This milk is very special to the tribes and is only used in small quantities as the rest is saved for goat breeding.
Traveling with mule in Morocco
Honey is a rare touch of sweetness to the tough lives of these people. The process of collecting the honey is fascinating. In the winter the hives are carried to the warm valleys while in the summer the hives are brought back into the highlands where floral blooms are ample due to the thaws of the previous winter. Everything the tribe has is made by hand. This beautiful bread dish was made with raffia that had been previously treated and died. The solar design portrayed in the dish adds personal flare to the weavers art and exemplifies the simple beauty these people draw from the everyday world around them.	The entire milking process as well as the making of the cheese is done entirely by the women of the tribe in an almost Zen-like process. There is a rhythm to their work that is a truly beautiful thing to behold and the end product is a simple delicacy that is sure to appease any palette.
Scenic view of Atlas Mountains – Morocco	Moroccan Bread Dish Nazmiyal Collection has sourced its pieces from the more isolated areas of the Atlas Mountains searching far and wide for the last true vintage and antique rugs woven by these nomadic tribes. We take pride in the fact that our collection is one of the most comprehensive in the world and contains many of the best original decorative pieces from Morocco. We give all of our love and effort in order to offer you the best pieces available at the best possible value.
Click here to see our entire collection of vintage Moroccan rugs