Moroccan rugs are a very high quality addition to any home, adding a touch of tradition and ethnicity, these hand-woven rugs can bring vibrancy and life to any room.
Each rug created is unique to the individual who hand crafts it with the skills passed down through generations. Moroccan rugs are a high priced item and may not be for everyone’s budget, this is because of the time and dedication invested in creating these intricately designed pieces of home furnishing. Different areas of Morocco are responsible for different styles and patterns, there are tribal areas that each produce their own unique versions. If you have made the decision to purchase one of these stunning rugs for your home, there are some details throughout the rest of this article that will help you make a more informed decision about your purchase.
Moroccan Berber Rugs
The word Berber comes from the Berber people of North Africa who have lived in the Atlas mountains for thousands of years. The weaving skills of these people were handed down through the generations and these skills are still used to this day to create genuine Moroccan Berber rugs. They use a distinct knotting process that is similar to a modern Berber carpet but modern Berbers are often bland in color. Moroccan Berber rugs are very different, they make use of natural organic dyes to create brightly colored patterns and earthly tones that adorn these stunning rugs. The demand for Moroccan Berber is on the increase even though production is slowing, this in turn relates to higher prices as the Moroccan Berber rugs are becoming rare. The high quality instilled within these rugs can afford them to last a lifetime when taken care of.
One of the oldest Moroccan traditions is tribal weaving which began with tribal Berber settlers who settled in the mountains, arriving in Morocco much before the Romans and the Phoenicians. The Berber tribes were predominantly Islamic and like the Arabs, they undertook most of the native tribal and rural weaving.
These tribal rugs vary from every region to tribes. This difference is massively based on the difference in color patterns, geometrical designs, bold carpet symbols, abstract motifs and the texture of the rugs.
One of the reasons that Berber carpets are simply awesome is that you can find unmatched patterns on these carpets which are often done deliberately. Ever since home decorations and home improvements have sprung up in the cities, there has been a revival of interest in these rugs so much so that many of the designs are now getting copied from old patterns. Authentic Berber rugs were often made from wool to add that domestic and personal touch but modern day Berber rugs often make use of warp and weft threads.
One of the biggest reasons that these hand knotted Berber rugs are hot property in the market is because of their vintage look, giving a tasteful elegance to the entire personality of your home. Berber rugs are basically woven woolen rugs with intricate sequin designs apart from the use of natural dyes. But the name Berber is so common that the name Berber has been often mistaken for a kind of fiber used in the making of carpets instead of the Moroccan tribes who first started weaving them.
A Berber weave is vastly different from other weaves because it makes use of quite many intricate techniques of looping the wool or thread which is quite unlike the machine made technique of similar loops and for that matter even other hand knotted techniques. Berber rugs can be made from different types of materials such as wool, olefin, nylon, polyester, etc. Or even two of these materials can also be combined to make a beautiful rug.
Hand Knotted Moroccan Rugs
Hand knotted rugs have always been a cherished heirloom and possessions for many years. And this is because they have been molded (in this case, knotted) together by hands instead of using machines. And truth be told, these rugs are treasured so much simply because they aren’t machine made.
Ever since machines came into being during the Industrial Revolution, everything that had being man-made had gone into a depression mode. Everything that was crafted by hands was replaced by machine made tags. Hand knotted rugs also went through a similar slump but in the recent times, it has had a massive recovery because these hand knotted rugs are part of an Oriental history and therefore much coveted possessions. Many of the expensive hand knotted rugs have their origins in the Middle East or the Oriental countries. But you can find many such rugs having an American history as well. But the best thing is that they are now much more readily available in the markets now.
The availability is all thanks to corporate business which intends to fulfill many of our luxury needs, thereby essentially flooding the market with a diversity of hand knotted rugs in the markets and that too at lower costs. And the need to have a hand knotted rug has increased manifold with the rise of home improvement and interior decorations jobs which make it an absolute essential to own that prized rug.
These rugs may be hand-made but they are extremely durable and definitely last over a long period of time. Since they are made by artisans, they are specific to many regions especially Iran or Persia, of which some of the most popular forms are the Hamada and Heris. Other country specific rugs are Pakistani, Indian, Turkish, Tunisian, etc.
A lot many materials go into the weaving and knotting together of the rug such as many variations of cotton, wool, and sometimes even expensive silk. But how exactly is the hand-knotted rug made? These rugs come together into a beautiful rug in two parts. First is the base of the rug which consists of the warps or threads which goes along the carpet and wefts or threads that go across the rug. Secondly, you will find the pile which can be seen by us. Between the twin boards of the loom, the warps are stretched so that the weaver will knot each and every thread which will form the pile later on. When a row is completed then a weft is pushed down which will holds the raw tufts together. This action is repeated till the carpet comes together beautifully. Some types of popular hand knotted rugs include:
- Hand Knotted Wool Rugs
- Hand Knotted Persian Rugs
- Hand Knotted Oriental Rugs
- Hand Knotted Silk Rugs
Depending on the quality and work of these hand knotted rugs, the price can vary between $80 to up of $2000 dollars. The cheapest of these rugs will have minimal work and would be less durable but if you wish to make your house look grand then the price of the rug shouldn’t stop you from splurging on one of them. Try looking for hand knotted Persian rugs, hand knotted woolen rugs, and hand knotted silk rugs which are some of the best hand knotted rugs available.
Moroccan Rugs for Sale
Where can you find Moroccan rugs for sale? There are in fact many places where you can buy one of these amazing rugs if you know where to look. The first place I recommend to begin your search is on the internet, there are many specialized carpet and rug suppliers who stock Moroccan rugs. Using the internet gives you the benefit of shopping directly from home and the option to read reviews of the item, this gives you the advantage of knowing that what you are about to purchase is really of the quality you are expecting. The second choice would be to find a local store that supplies them, the advantage of this is that you get to see the rug as it is and you can check the quality with your own two hands. Whichever choice you go with, one very important tip is to check with the retailer that it is a genuine Moroccan rug. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous dealers who will pass off lesser quality rugs as the genuine article.