Vintage Moroccan Marmoucha Carpet MA01

A wonderful vintage Moroccan Marmoucha carpet exemplifying the rich history and symbolism found in Berber arts. This piece narrates through a complex network of classic Berber symbols a story of feminine beauty combined with an undercurrent of masculine strength. A warm time faded patina includes a palette of crimson red, deep burgundy, fig, apricot, pale turquoise, and ivory. The short woolen fibers are knotted tightly, creating a lower pile construction with a dense compact hand. 100% wool.

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tribe.

Marmoucha

The Marmoucha tribe lives in the southern region of the Middle Atlas. They belong to the Berber Zenata, who have lived in the eastern Middle Atlas since the 10th century. Heavily influenced by their Beni Ouarain neighbors, they originally produced only white bedding carpets with a diamond lattice of narrow black lines enclosing white squares (chessboard design). They typically use the Berber knot and only rarely the symmetric knot. Marmoucha women and men weave colorful carpets for floor coverings, which have a compact hand and are quite heavy. Their flatweaves usually have a ground color of bright red/purple and orange.

tribe.Marmoucha
region.Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco
circa.1960's-1970's
dimensions.10'4" x 6'4" / 3.15m x 1.93m
pile height.Low
fringe length.8"
condition.Excellent
rug no.MA01
rug no.