Vintage Moroccan Azilal Carpet AZ20

This vintage Moroccan Azilal carpet exhibits an eccentric lozenge motif contained within bold side borders, shifting from an open network to one much more complex, then back again (almost as if one pattern has been inserted into another). A fine example of Berber weaving creativity and spontaneity at its best. Palette includes cobalt blue, sea green, red, yellow/orange, turquoise, black, and dark brown. Knotted in ivory wool with mostly wool tinted fibers (there are small amounts of cotton fibers present), on a cotton warp. Minor fringe loss.

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tribe.

Azilal

This High Atlas village produces some very colorful carpets from a Berber tribe of the same name. The Azilal tribe shares many patterns and symbols that are similar to its Beni Ouarain cousin, but differ in knot technique. The main difference is in construction, Azilals utilizing a single knot technique, while the Beni Ouarain tribes use a double knot and weave entirely in wool. Azial carpets can be made of a wool pile with various other fibers woven into the backing. This is due in part to limited access of raw wool material and the lack of need for the rugs to provide insulation from the cold.

tribe.Azilal
region.High Atlas Mountains, Morocco
circa.1970
dimensions.8'10" x 4'8" / 2.69m x 1.42m
pile height.Medium
fringe length.3"
condition.Very Good
rug no.AZ20
rug no.