Tribal weaving is one of Moroccos oldest customs, and grew from the skills of Moroccos first Berber settlers who transferred into the mountains as well as plains before the arrival of the Phoenicians and Romans. This was before the Arabs brought Islam towards the 'Magrheb' or far West. Berber and Arab tribes still undertake most home-based rural weaving rugs price finder calibex.

Moroccan tribal carpets differ hugely through region and tribe. They can be colorful together with fine geometric styles - large, extended, soft hanbel and kilim ; or perhaps bold, featuring old symbols and summary motifs; or elegant and delicate in delicate colors like the fine rugs from the warmer areas of southern Morocco.

Genuine rural wool carpets were, and still are usually, made for personal household use, to be used as bedding as well as ground coverings, made by females for their own families. In the cold mountains they were woven with a long pile and versatile weave, in more comfortable areas they feature any finer weave and shorter pile.

The very best tribal rugs tend to be individual and draw on the weaver's own activities, weaving traditions and life. Irregularities are common and also unmatched patterns were often created purposely. Color, originality, simple symbols and a tempting earthy aura tag out moroccan tribal carpets from other weavings from around the world. Because old tribal pieces are becoming more rare, co-operatives have sprung up to produce the market with replicates of old styles. Due to a recent revival of interest in Berber rugs reproductions now are plentiful. On the whole we feel that although often of the nice quality, these kinds of cannot replicate the particular creativity and inspiration of an old tribe piece - weaved for use by it's owner, and created in isolation coming from external influences area rugs at bold.

You may see a few parts featuring sequins or mouzouns. Sequins had been valued for their quality to reflect the glow of fire simply by night and vibrant sunlight by day and so are often to be found on celebration or dowry pieces. Given the fragility of the items, it is unusual for very old sequins to survive in a good express.

Color is important in moroccan tribal weaving and particular tribes favour certain shades. Natural dyes are often only found in products over 70-80 years old almond leaves, cochineal, indigo, iron sulphate and cow urine were all used. Each synthetic and normal dyes fade - with older area rugs you can be sure that most of the fading has already occurred. Properly used, synthetic fabric dyes can produce in the same way wonderful results as poorly used normal pigments.

Textiles have been valuable family things, many woven because wedding pieces. Within poorer families they were looked after carefully as precious possessions. A good weaving served as a source of pride and introduced respect to the weaver. We all seek out personal, genuine moroccan tribal weavings.

WHATS In the NAME
There are many different kinds of moroccan tribal rugs many of which we may simply refer to as a rug or perhaps a throw:

RUG OR CARPET
What moroccans would certainly refer to as a carpet is typically a stack rug with the more time pile threads forming the face of the carpeting. They can be extremely thicker and heavy, although soft (particularly in the mountains), or can be firm and show a shorter heap or tuft. A whole range of colors and weaving methods were used to create an incredible range of tribal area rugs and often they feature probably the most simple and graphic models.

HANBEL/HAMBEL
Hanbel is usually used to make reference to softer and greater blanket-type weavings. These can measure up to 4m and were used around the tent floor along with basic flooring, since bedding and resting, or as camping tent dividers. In The other agents the word hanbel may also be used to spell it out what we would contact a kilim.

KILIM
Kilim is a word that actually refers to the method something is made -the weaving approach. Tapestry weave and flatweave are the closest terms in order to kilim we have. A kilim is obviously a weft faced cloth (with the threads forming the underside). Tribes used kilims because rugs to chair guests, tent and also cottage hangings, covers on the bedding and baggage piles and on filled mules. Kilim weaving also has been useful for clothing, tent soft cushions and saddle-bags. Very elaborate geometric patterns can be found in Moroccan kilims.

TAMIZART/HANDIRA
These are Moroccan shawls - woven for warmth and also for special occasions. They can be utilized as throws, wall hangings or light-use rugs. Stunning white/cream womens handiras were generally woven for special events, such as weddings or as a gift, and therefore are often decorated along with small metal sequins. They may be woven in normal un-dyed wool and cotton, with the cotton strings left long around the underside in side to side sections throughout the scarf. Mens shawls may be weaved in darker colors, and sometimes in un-dyed wool from black sheep.

BERBER WEAVING
The language of Berber weaving offers some of the most complex on the planet of textiles. Often when a woman wove a hair piece it wasnt just for her nor limited to daily use. Additionally, it served as a means of communication of sorts to be 'read' by her family and neighbors. Well woven area rugs occupied a place in village life, and also were brought out for special occasions, weddings, fetes as well as fairs.

Although it is just too easy to elevate the actual symbols and motifs in Moroccan tribal weaving to some falsely mystic level, weavings did provide messages and include important signals, thoughts and ideas. Communication inside weaving can be diverse and far reaching. It can vary from the symbols seen in securely woven, balanced geometric kilims through to figurative motifs that appear to tell a story for the seemingly abstract asymmetric models to be found in free and pliable long-pile rugs. More often than not symbols make reference to the natural world, to fertility, birth and also femininity, to countryside life and to nature as well as to spiritual techniques and beliefs. Many weavers believed that rugs had powers to reduce the chances of evil and used motifs to keep away spirits.
Justmorocco.org is a direct importer regarding moroccan rugs kilims from atlass berber tribes.