Moroccan Tribal Rug And Kilim Art

We concentrate on the Rural rugs and kilim from the Berber Tribes of the Atlas Mountains and the Berber-Arab Tribes of the plains of Marrakesh. Although each rug is a unique work of art, Moroccan Rural rugs are distinctive in their color, design and weave. They are identified by region and tribe (of which there are over 600) although more recent intermarriage between tribes results in blurring of the boundaries.

Traditionally, rural rugs/kilim are woven from hand spun fleece or of goat or camel hair, hand dyed from natural vegetable and mineral resources available locally. The strong tradition of family weaving still thrives today; skilled weavers being highly respected within the community and for many rural peoples they provide the single luxury items in the home.

Modern rugs are still made using traditional techniques on fixed-heddle looms although the majority incorporate some commercially produced synthetic dyes and may have a cotton foundation (warp and weft threads) which generally produces a straighter rug. The most prized rugs, regardless, are with the exception of a handful of rare worm silk rugs and the incredibly fine complex flatweave of a very few tribes, 100% wool, goat or camel hair.