Vintage Moroccan Azilal Carpet AZ44

A very unusual Azilal example, with an intriguing combination of motifs that read like a timeline. A central male ladder dominates the composition, with offshoots of male and female Berber symbols. Some asymmetry is present, telling similar yet different versions of a story. Knotted in lime green, tangerine, salmon, pale pink, light grey, and ivory wool. Note a few fringe have been repaired and replaced, as found.

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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's
dimensions.6'4" x 4'9" / 1.93m x 1.45m
pile height.Low
fringe length.2"
condition.Very Good
rug no.AZ44
rug no.