Hassira mat, northern Middle Atlas approx. 195 x 118 cm / 6′5″ × 3′11″ Halfa grass , wool & industrial yarn Late 20th century A cheerful hassira mat from the Marmoucha, featuring two large scale lozenges at the center, whose depiction is reminiscent of the traditional motifs found in pile rugs from the region. Numerous small variations in color and pattern add to the playful character of the overall design. Hassira mats were made for everyday use, sometimes as underlays for knotted carpets and sometimes used directly as floor mats. Their decoration is closely related to the carpet patterns of the region. Please also see the image of the reverse side, which reveals the construction of the mat and has a distinct visual charm. #marmoucha #hassira #berberart #strawmat #berberteppich #berberweaving #materialculture #vintageberberrug #vintagemoroccanrug #ruggallery

Knotted rug, around the city of Boujad approx. 136 x 90 cm / 4′6″ × 3′ Industrial yarn, recycled textiles & wool Early 20th century A small painterly rug from the Boujad region with a vivacious pattern. The boldly colored pink stripes are like a soloist backed by a supporting chorus, taking center stage. Together they read as “the quiet and the bold”, forming a striking visual composition. Please note that the rug has a few repairs and shows signs of use: nevertheless, it remains a strong visual statement. #boujadrug #interiors #berberart #berberteppich #berberweaving #materialculture #vintageberberrug #vintagemoroccanrug #ruggallery

Ait Bou Ichaouen, eastern Morocco approx. 400 × 180 cm / 13′1″ × 5′11″ Wool w/ very few knots in industrial yarn 1980s–1990s A notable weaving from the Ait Bou Ichaouen in mixed technique, with a highly complex and artistic design in a large elongated format. Its pattern, hovering between a lozenge network and free abstraction, is an exciting mixture of traditional and informal drawing. Additionally intriguing is the rich variation in color in the ground, which can be seen especially well on the back side (see images of the front and back side). It comes from around the city of Talsint, where the Ait Bou Ichaouen and other groups still live relatively remotely in small villages. #aitbouichaouen #talsint #berberweaving #berberart #easternmorocco #vintageberberrug #vintagemoroccanrug #materialculture

Flatweave with Shadoui, Jebel SIroua region, southern Morocco approx. 200 x 110 cm / 6′7″ × 3′7″ 100% Wool circa 20th Mid century An enigmatic textile from the Ait Ouaouzguite, probably used as a saddlebag for a mule, with a shadoui middle section in weft twining technique. Such types of blankets were often sewn together as a secondary use to form saddlebags, according to Wilfried Stanzer, who wrote the article Striped Stars about the flatweaves of the Ait Ouaouzguite, originally published in the magazine Carpet Collector, Hamburg, issue 1/2017. As also noted by Stanzer, the local wool of the Siroua sheep was sold at high prices after 1970, and therefore machine carded and spun Australian wool was introduced to the area. A hand spinner has identified the wool in this textile as hand spun, which additionally aids in dating it. The design in the shadoui section is stylistically interesting, as it recalls the aesthetics of rugs and flatweaves from the Beni Mguild in the Middle Atlas, although the shadoui technique is not traditionally used there. Please also note the borders (left and right), where the weft twining technique creates an optical puzzle effect that ends the pattern and defines the edges. Please note that the textile is in fragmentary condition. See images of the back and front of the textile, as well as close ups. To me, the flatweave remains a mystery and raises further questions. #aitouaouzguite #benimguild #berberweaving #berberart #shadoui #vintageberberrug #vintagemoroccanrug #berbertextile

Shepherd’s cape (burnous), High Atlas or Anti-Atlas Approx. 200 × 100 cm / 6’7” × 3’3” Wool Second half of the 20th century A shepherd’s cape for everyday use, distinguished by a striped pattern in a rich range of natural wool tones, from deep dark hues to lighter shades, exclusively worn by men. Most examples measure around 3 meters from cuff to cuff when the arms are fully extended. This piece is smaller and was likely made for a smaller individual, possibly a child. The images show both the exterior and interior of the garment. Dating such textiles precisely is difficult when they lack dyes or other materials that might indicate their age. From the 1980s–1990s onward, production of these capes became very rare. #berberart #berbergarment #materialculture #traditionalweaving #sheperdscoat

A flock of sheep and goats in the village where I have my base and warehouse in Morocco. It is fascinating how the relationship between humans and sheep has been rooted in interdependence, especially in remote and rural regions. In such environments, sheep were not simply livestock but a vital source of everyday necessities. They provided wool for warmth, protection, and craftsmanship. Each year, sheep produce a new fleece, which can be spun into yarn. This process allowed communities to create essential textiles and carpets without relying on external resources. Sheep contributed not only to survival but also to artistic traditions. In the village here, one can still see evidence of traditional life, but it is intermingled with modern living. Industrially made carpets have found their way into many households, and traditional carpets are now often seen as old fashioned. #berberart #ruralmorocco #berberweaving #materialculture #traditionalweaving

A small selection of captions I’ve taken from small businesses that caught my eye while traveling in Morocco, each with a poetic and sometimes peculiar beauty. #smallbusiness #morocco #everydaybeauty #hiddengems #berberart #ruggallery #materialculture

I’m currently in Morocco sourcing new pieces, carefully inspecting each one. Every rug receives special attention. It is washed, sometimes the pile needs trimming, and if needed, it is repaired before it is ready for sale. If you’re looking for something specific, feel free to reach out. #boujadrug #azilalrug #berberart #berberteppich #berberweaving #materialculture #traditionalweaving #vintageberberrug #vintagemoroccanrug #ruggallery

Azilal rug, central High Atlas approx. 180 x 124 cm / 5’11“ x 4’1“’ Wool, cotton & wool/cotton blend Early 1990s A charming Azilal rug with a drawing-like pattern, knotted in colored yarns and silky wool, with occasional dots of light brown wool on the white ground. On one hand, the pattern appears typical for the region, displaying an organic lozenge network but on the other hand, it has a strong personal signature with creative deviations and a delicacy in execution. The composition is framed by vertical, doodle-like zigzag lines that add a dynamic quality to the overall design. The blue, sea green, red, and yellow yarns are commonly found in Azilal rugs and characteristic of this time and location. They are not synthetic, but (most likely) a handspun wool/cotton blend. This kind of Azilal rug began appearing after the first generation, made of undyed dark and light colored wool, disappeared due to high market demand. It reflects a transitional moment in the weaving history of the northern High Atlas region: moving from archaic, undyed pieces toward more colorful and sometimes more complex designs. #wovenabstraction #berberweaving #azilalrug #moroccanrug #textileart #handwovenrug #highatlas #textileculture

The relationship between carpet motifs and tattoo designs has long fascinated me. While examining a recently acquired carpet (see the accompanying post), I noticed how closely its motifs resemble the tattoos of Berber women, although there were also a few documented men who had tattoos. Yet I was never fully convinced by the local information I gathered after asking people on my travels, that tattoo motifs were derived from carpet designs rather than the other way around. It wasn’t until I looked at some older images again that I realized the tattoo motifs often follow a linear or geometric structure similar to Berber carpets, where the arrangement of motifs is inherent to the weaving process, while tattoos are in principle free in how they are composed. As for the meaning of motifs, many questions remain unanswered. I have often heard it said that they are purely decorative, which may be partly true. They are likely to be a combination of symbolism and ornamentation. Last year, I photographed a woman with facial tattoos in the Beni Ouarain region. When I asked her about their meaning, she said that she was very young at the time and couldn’t remember. I did not fully believe her, though I will never know the truth. Available sources of documentation include the work of Dr. Jean Herber, a military doctor who recorded tattoos during the French Protectorate, Jean Besancenot’s photographs from his travels in the 1930s, and Félix and Loretta Leu’s field documentation in the Middle Atlas during the late 1980s. Image 1: Jean Besancenot, 1934, eastern Middle Atlas, Zemmour woman Image 2 (detail crop): Jean Besancenot, 1934, Middle Atlas, Beni Mguild Image 3: image from the book “Berber Tattooing“in Morocco’s Middle Atlas” From Felix and Loretta Leu Image 4: Alexandra Sachs #aitseghrouchene #benimguild #tattoos #berberart #vintagemoroccanrug

Ait Seghrouchene de Sidi Ali, central Middle Atlas approx. 305 x 190 cm / 10’ x 6’2“’ 100 % wool circa 1980-1990 An Ait Seghrouchène rug featuring a large-scale pattern with abstract, drawing-like motifs, notable for its highly distinctive design. Knotted from locally processed wool, the rug has an archaic pile with a slightly deeper beige tone than other white rugs. Its overall composition has a naïve yet appealing quality, displaying playfully simplified patterns that loosely recall those of the Beni Mguild/ Gigou Valley, while more distinctly evoking motifs found in women’s tattoos. As this tattooing tradition has largely faded, with most remaining tattoos seen on older women, such visual echoes offer a rare link to a disappearing aspect of Berber cultural expression. Please see my next post (or last image) for more information on the tattoos. #aitseghrouchene #benimguild #middleatlasrug #berberart #vintagemoroccanrug #berberweaving

I’m currently updating my website and it’s still a work in progress, but please feel free to have a look! Did you know that you can use the cursor to move the cropped detail image of the rug and examine all areas up close? This works exclusively on a computer screen, but not on a phone or iPad. #materialculture #wovenabstraction #berberart #berberweaving #vintageberberrug #ruggallery