Western societies have been fascinated with traditional Moroccan rugs, dating all the way back to the 20th century. As eco, global, and bohemian styles gain popularity, Moroccan rugs see a spike in demand. Here's everything you need to know about these beautiful and culturally rich textiles.
The Allure of Moroccan Rugs
During the 20th century, designers utilized bold geometric shapes and patterns and bold color palettes to enable wonderful function-over-form interiors. Vintage, well-crafted products tend to cost around 6-figure sums. However, Double Knot’s owner and antique-rug expert Murat Kupcu advise buyers to be cautious.
It’s an irony that Moroccan rugs, which were produced economically without any plans to sell them in the market, are the ones that cost the most. Both consumers and rug experts agree that the highest value is often paid for textile products that were created as a work of art by the weavers, whose only intention was to emulate their ancestors and traditions.
Women usually made Moroccan tribal rugs and weavings for personal purposes alone. Such dense rugs were used for various purposes, including floor covering or blankets during the winter, seating, and mattresses. Every woman who weaves a rug conveys her story via her work of art.
Diversity in Design and Color
Moroccan Rugs have a wide range of colors, from monochrome to graphically dense images, and incorporate saturated, bright shades along with muted, natural tones. Bold and attractive geometric designs tend to be woven by many rural weavers in Morocco, from the Sahara to the Atlas Mountains.
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However, not all Moroccan rugs sport exquisite patterns. The most attractive designs often tend to have monochrome colors. However, such rugs come with subtle variations and brilliant color schemes that make up for their lack of complexity. Traditional dyes are used, which are obtained from minerals or local vegetation. Some of them, like cochineal’s rich red and the Tyrian purple, is obtained from shells. While they don’t always contain rich symbolic imagery, these colors come with their own brand of symbolism.
Finding Your Home’s Personal Style through Rugs
Types of Moroccan Rugs
The Azilal region, which extends from the Middle Atlas’ southern foothills to the High Atlas’ northern side, provides many highly-coveted, heavily decorated rugs and carpets.
Boucherouite Rugs
Did you know that these fun-loving carpets emerged due to several economic and social changes? Yes, Boucherouite, which is derived from an Arabic word Busherwit, or ‘piece taken from a used clothing material,’ was created as people transitioned from nomadic herds to more modern employment types. This reduced the supply of wool. Boucherouite rugs tend to be similar since there isn’t much distinction between these rugs.
Beni Ourain Rugs
Some innumerable contemporary spinoffs and products draw inspiration from the Beni Ourain, a 2-dozen strong individual tribe network located in the Moroccan Middle Atlas area. FJ Hakimian adds that these rugs are woven using natural, undyed wool with a largely cream field. The decoration tends to have a henna-brown color arranged in several delicate lines.
While nothing stands out particularly about Beni Ourain rugs and carpets, Summer Thornton holds that they contain little details, which give these pieces character, soul, and depth, which can’t be seen in a mass-manufactured machined carpet.
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Kilim Rugs
Kilim, a Turkish word, refers to a pileless and flatwoven textile. It comes in many different variations with a common origin & happens to be available throughout the Arabian world, the Balkans & Turkey. Hakimian adds that although vintage traditional Moroccan kilims are usually limited in their size, it has a simple geometry, allowing people to use them in ways and dimensions that are well-suited to modern interior designs.
Integrating Moroccan Rugs into Your Home
Tina Busck, founder and designer at the Apartment, located in Copenhagen, states that rugs are similar to paintings for the floor. Therefore, she approaches it, just like one might approach installing or hanging paintings on their walls. have a more stripped-down, elegant geometry and neutral tones, making them highly preferred by most modern interior designers.
When choosing a Moroccan-style rug, remember that tribal-made Moroccan rugs are different from urban-style Rabat carpets.
Key Characteristics of Moroccan Rugs
Here's a quick overview of the characteristics of different types of Moroccan rugs:
| Rug Type | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Boucherouite | Made from recycled clothing materials, similar designs due to material constraints. |
| Beni Ourain | Natural, undyed wool, cream field with henna-brown decorations. |
| Kilim | Flatwoven, pileless, simple geometry, versatile for modern interiors. |
| Azilal | Heavily decorated, sourced from the Azilal region. |
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