PASSION RUGS EPISODE 2

The choice ?

Moroccan rugs are a true national treasure that has conquered the world! In this second episode about the Amazigh or Berber rug, I will present  a range of rugs from different regions and styles but which have in common their authenticity and quality of handmade work. Of course, this choice is neither exhaustive nor objective. Over the centuries, traditions have continued to this day, the torch of weaving has been passed and each weaver tribe has finally found its reference language, its aesthetic mode, its techniques.

 

 

 

We know the geographical origin of a carpet. We can identify the style, even if there are variations. In addition, there are logical evolutions. Women weavers live with their time, their daily lives have changed and this is noticeable in their creations. Even their knowledge of contemporary art or design is more common than it used to be.

 

 

The changing tastes of the buyers can influence their work. At this stage it can be stated that the geographical provenance (Tazenaght, Azilal…) does not always correspond to the characteristic pictorial style of a carpet. Exchanges, networks are now greatly facilitated and weaving cooperatives or weavers can influence each other and be more receptive to trends or fashions.

 

 

Typical weaving techniques are more fixed and permanent. I will review some styles, hoping to contribute to inspire you and who knows, help you, if you decide to acquire  one of these works of art.

 

Tazenakht

The Moroccan South! Camel caravans, kasbahs, sand dunes, red villages, men with blue cheches, trade of goods, dates, tea, pottery, salt, sugar, saffron, almonds,  jewelry. Our collective imaginations are filled with references! Today, the directors of Hollywood studios can fantasize in these amazing landscapes. Goats and sheep quietly watch them work tirelessly.

 

 

 

Once a year, the sheep “Siroua” give their wool of an inestimable quality. It is the first virtue of these local rugs. They have strong colors and are contrasted, adorned with large classical geometric patterns evoking the elements of nature. Other symbolic drawings picture animals and their forces, mountains, waves, fertility, life, death…

 

 

The city is an important weaving center.  Under this name of Tazenakht, we can find quite different styles . The rugs are knotted, sometimes woven alternately. They are of a nice thickness, made of a first quality smooth and shiny wool !

 

 

 

Azilal

A lot of cheerfulness and joy in an Azilal rug with those bright colors, those unusual patterns, those messy lines ! They offer a mix of colours on a light background, they sing life and sparkle. The language seems very contemporary or even close to pop art !

 

 

It is obvious that they will give any room of your house  an air of fantasy, friendliness and smile, as in Morocco! Diamonds, arrows, zigzags, dots are fun in green, pink, red, yellow, blue, orange…

 

 

Sometimes we can find monochrome Azilaz rugs or with a color gradient. This is not their fundamental style but they remain bright and cheerful ! They are knotted rugs,  made of  lustrous wool and the pile is of medium depth.  The rugs are quite soft. For a younger clientele perhaps ?

 

Akhnif

After the playful Azilal style, the Akhnif language may seem rigorous and somewhat austere ! But aren’t the Aklhnif rugs fascinating ? They come from the region of Tazenakht. These are flat woven pieces, which will give them that characteristic finesse and lightness. Embroidered patterns or symbolic signs are repeated and are often registered symmetrically on monochrome backgrounds, red, blue, gray, beige, pink, green…

 

 

Dyed with natural herbs, the wool takes a pure or sometimes  iridescent color, subtly  playing with the gradients. What really characterizes the Akhnif carpet is this flat, extremely tight weave of exceptional regularity and precision.

 

 

They are inimitable and never reproduced by other manufacturers. Some may seem minimalist, others more luxuriant. But the mystery that emanates from Akhnif rugs is matched only by their elegance and refinement. They encourage contemplation. They are perfect for contemporary interiors.

 

 

Akhnif rugs can also be treated in a more dynamic way. The weaving process then evokes waves, mountains, reliefs in a range of extremely bright colors. The impression of movement is well defined. The graphic compositions are equally contemporary.

 

 

 

 

Boujaad

Located in the center of the Kingdom, the city of Boujaâd, Bejaâd, is a cultural and spiritual destination for Moroccans. It is an important religious centre. Communities always blended in tolerance and harmony. The rugs from this area are knotted, with medium-long wool hairs. They can appear as fairly classic rugs.

 

 

They are richly decorated, colorful, with large motifs inspired by nature, flora, animal world or classical geometry. The tones are generally warm. The weft and chain are often orange. They are not austere or bare carpets. The multicolored checkerboard and its  variations is a pattern that is frequently found.

 

Beni Ouarain

We are now in the north-east of Morocco. These rugs, we want to touch and caress their softness. The exceptional texture of these carpets is the result of a long and ancestral process of spinning  and weaving. At the beginning there is the wool of the  “Marmoucha” sheep.

 

 

It will be treated by skillful fingers with infinite patience. It is usually not dyed and keeps its ivory, cream tones. Each knotted carpet will spend long hours on the loom. The Beni Ouarain carpets are therefore very dense, with long hairs. They are heavy and do not move from the ground. These carpets can be very large. Originally they were intended to warm the floors in tents and houses.

 

 

They are monochrome, bi-colored, simple and brief in the patterns and have their place in contemporary interiors, in the living room for conviviality, in the bedroom for cocooning ! The classic pattern of fine black diamonds drawn on a white background is known all over the world. A minimalist design that often appeals to customers from  Nordic countries. Famous artists such as Matisse and Le Corbusier also liked these rugs very much.

 

Chichaoua

The red carpets ! This is indeed the essential and emblematic colour of Chichaoua rugs. The city is located in the west of Morocco, about a hundred kilometers from Marrakech. Many workshops are active for the weaving of these bright red carpets ! The garance is at the origin of all these shades of red, from carmine to orange, blood red to delicate rose… Sheep and goats from nearby farms provide the raw material. It was during the protectorate of France that the taste for this color developed and the demand has only grown since.

 

 

They are often monochrome but a few black or colored patterns sometimes come to embellish them. Other models have beautiful red gradients, their knots are not so dense and sometimes they may seem rustic. They are available in all sizes, with preference for large formats. They are comfortable and you can pleasantly lie  on their fur !

 

 

 

Glaoua, Glaoui

The name of these rugs derives from the controversial and colourful figure Thami El Glaoui (1879-1956) who was the Pacha of the South of Morocco. A friend of Churchill, he was also protected by the French Resident General Marshal Lyautey and was the talk of the country in his time. In addition to its Palace in Marrakech, Dar El Bacha, now the Confluence Museum, he had a princely kasbah residence in Telouet, now partially in ruins but still visitable on the road to the South. He helped to develop this activity in the Tazenakhte region, unfortunately shamelessly exploiting local families. What is striking in the Glaoui style rugs is the use of three techniques, knotting, weaving and embroidery.

 

 

They are quite rich in decorations and in motley patterns, often organized, squared, asymmetrical. Geometric representations, animal, floral and other ethnic symbols stand out on the background of stripes, diamonds, arrow drawings, rectangles, herringbone patterns… The range of natural colors is very wide.

 

 

As often in this region, the wool is that of  the “Siroua” sheep, an endemic species of Morocco. This wool is of a unique quality and softness. The Glaoui rugs are naturally very decorative and can adorn and embellish a wall just like a large spectacular painting.

 

 

 

Zemmour

The Zemmours represent a group of tribes established in the Middle Atlas (central Morocco) east of the capital Rabat. Their weaving tradition is ancestral ! The first characteristic of a Zemmour carpet is the red background color that can go towards burgundy red. These are woven carpets but other techniques can sometimes be added. They are of a rather rigorous, orderly appearance that is reinforced by aligned and framed patterns .

 

 

 

Serpentine features, herringbone patterens, zigzags, borders are repeated harmoniously and often symmetrically. The black or white wool, ivory or orange threads trace the decor. Sometimes, for an additional visual effect, sequins are sewn on the rug in a random way.

 

 

 

There are also shiny sabra (silk-like fabric) threads. Zemmour rugs are almost great “classics” in Morocco so the eye of the amateur is accustomed to these graphic compositions. Zemmour rugs are also used to cover cushions or armchairs.

 

 

 

The weaving being tight, they are light by nature. Very decorative, very visual, very contrasted, they fit into all types of interior design, whether modern, or vintage or very contemporary. They will illuminate any type of rooms, on the walls as well as on the floor.

 

 

 

Tiflet

We do not leave the Middle Atlas to evoke the Tiflet carpet. Recognisable among thousands, this elegant, elaborate and refined style appeals to many buyers. It is a subtle balance between a secular tradition and a certain modernity. Woven in a tight way, they are quite light, kilim type, and come in various colors and demonstrate great durability.

 

 

The motifs are geometric, inspired by legends, tribal beliefs and superstitions, and carry protective values. They are richly decorated, yet a certain sobriety and soothing serenity emanate from their design. The colors are often soft, shaded, rarely very contrasting. There are ranges of beiges, ivory, brown, grey… A beautiful work, a beautiful aspect !

 

 

Zanafi

These rugs are flat woven in a very dense way, very fine, without hair,  kilim type, light but very resistant. They can have a wide variety of colors and tones. Although made in the region of Khenifra in the Middle Atlas, they bear the name of a tribe from the South near Tazenakht. Few weavers have this perfect mastery of their specific weaving. In addition, there is a consummate art of embroidery in these pieces.

 

 

 

They could be called modern and even trendy because they perfectly agree with contemporary interiors. They can take over more traditional patterns, compositions of other styles such as the Beni Ouarain, the Glaoui, or look towards contemporary pictorial art or drift  into very minimalist graphic universes.

 

 

Diamonds, symbolic drawings, squares, chevron patterns, frames, stripes, checkers… But for a Zanafi type rug,  the complex weaving technique matters more than the decor.

 

 

 

Beni Mrirt

There are several factors that make Beni Mrirt Rugs so unique and popular. They can be very large. Their touch is incomparable by their thickness and their unique softness.

 

 

First, there is  a fine, luminous, silky wool, which has been long prepared, washed and dried according to a secret, ancestral and precise process that will be repeated. This step is a ritual and will give the wool its shine and velvety, and to the carpet its wonderful quilted texture. Weaving with the double knot technique will complete this rendering which has no equivalent in the production of Moroccan rugs.

 

 

 

 

The colors are often natural in the background, ivory or cream. There is also green and orange, king blue, pistachio, beige, and black. Beni Mrirt carpets can be monochrome or embellished with drawings of soft, asymmetrical and naive lines.A few others offer contrasting coloured areas.

 

 

These rugs never have an overloaded aspect. Abstract Expressionism seems to have inspired them sometimes. Not in the Pollock’s tormented way, no, but rather the soft way we can find with Mark Rothko, Clifford Still or Barnett Newman. They seem timeless and universal, they also give off a particular sensuality, and just like the Beni Ouarain, they make you want to cuddle up on their fur.

 

 

 

So, my selection ends with a touch of softness. In the end, I’m not at all sure that this guide will help you  make your choice ! As we say, ” there is no accounting for tastes”. Your mood of the moment, your desire of the moment will determine your purchase. At least you will understand that the world of Moroccan rugs has to do with sensitivity. This traditional art has deep cultural roots and that is why it has earned its reputation. From personal experience, I know that after buying your first rug, you already dream of a second one…and a third one…