Knotted

The area where the Marmoucha Berber clan, belonging to the larger Zenata group, is not far from the imperial Moroccan city of Fes in the southern Middle Atlas. The Marmoucha are neighbours of the Beni Ouarain and that is why some of their pieces remind sometimes of the patterns and designs from the latter. Their flatweaves usually are rich in colors and tend to be quite bright and dense. In their knotted woollen rugs, as this particular example, they usually use the so-called Berber knot and in this case short/medium pile.

The area where the Marmoucha Berber clan, belonging to the larger Zenata group, is not far from the imperial Moroccan city of Fes in the southern Middle Atlas. The Marmoucha are neighbours of the Beni Ouarain and that is why some of their pieces remind sometimes of the patterns and designs from the latter. Their flatweaves usually are rich in colors and tend to be quite bright and dense. The use of diamond or lozenge strings lattice of narrow black lines circling white squares is a typical old Marmoucha motif. In their knotted woollen rugs, as this particular example, they usually use the so-called Berber knot and medium pile.

The area where the Marmoucha Berber clan, belonging to the larger Zenata group, is not far from the imperial Moroccan city of Fes in the southern Middle Atlas. The Marmoucha are neighbours of the Beni Ouarain and that is why some of their pieces remind sometimes of the patterns and designs from the latter. Their flatweaves usually are rich in colors and tend to be quite bright and dense. The use of diamond or lozenge strings lattice of narrow black lines circling white squares is a typical old Marmoucha motif. In their knotted woollen rugs, as this particular example, they usually use the so-called Berber knot and medium pile.

The area where the Marmoucha Berber clan, belonging to the larger Zenata group, is not far from the imperial Moroccan city of Fes in the southern Middle Atlas. The Marmoucha are neighbours of the Beni Ouarain and that is why some of their pieces remind sometimes of the patterns and designs from the latter. Their flatweaves usually are rich in colors and tend to be quite bright and dense. In their knotted woollen rugs, as this particular example, they usually use the so-called Berber knot and in this case short/medium pile.

Beni Mrirt or Beni M'Rirt handmade artisan knotted rugs are woven in the Moroccan region of the same name in the Middle Atlas mountain range. Sometimes they are mistakenly taken for Beni Ouaraïn rugs, particularly those examples with a cream or white background. However, Beni MRirt rugs have their own distinctive features such as a denser pile and the wonderful and characteristic use of deep colors such as reds, orange or brown for the background. It should also be noted the quality of the wool as well as, when decorated, the originality of the motifs used and of their distribution. Apparently naïve and most charming motifs are then used mixing female and male symbols reflecting the always amazing Berber symbology. These rugs are very original, cosy and show great personality. This particualr rug has an original black narrow stripe at one of its ends.