The Moroccan rugs, carpets and heirlooms are the authentic hand-woven carpets, rugs, and heirlooms that were traditionally hand woven by the Moroccans. These handmade rugs have been weaving by the indigenous individuals of Morocco as early as the Paleolithic Era. Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Baroque Periods, as well as the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, witnessed the proliferation of these rugs in Europe. Then, after the sixteenth century, during the Counter Renaissance, they were highly prized by the royal courts in Europe as well as throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Moroccan rugs, carpets and heirlooms are characterized by rich, complex, bright colors. They may be made from natural wool, plant fibres, synthetic fibres, silk, or a combination of these materials. The designs may include geometrical patterns, floral motifs, tribal patterns, animal prints, village designs, abstract patterns, deserts, oases, desert scenes, intricate jumble of patterns, and even abstract geometric designs. A large percentage of these rugs come in modern patterns like stripes and checkered edges, which can either be straight and geometric or asymmetric with a zigzag edge pattern. They also come in different colors and patterns, from browns, tans, rust, creams, to blue or gold.
The texture and the dyes used on the Moroccan rugs differ based on the location where the weaving is done. For example, if the wool is produced in the Sahara Desert, the patterns and colors will be totally different than if it were produced in the Atlantic Ocean. The same can be said for the type of dyes that are used as well. Some are completely natural while others come from plants and flowers that grow in specific areas of the country or are artificially dyed.
There are two types of Moroccan rugs. One is the Tabriz Persian Rug, which is native to Iran. These rugs have very interesting patterns with dark or light red, blue, or black colors. This type of rug is usually a square shape with four diagonal threads and two diagonal corners. The second type is the Berber or Arab rug. These are flat woven carpets that are characteristic of the Moroccan people’s culture.
Tabriz rugs are usually made from wool that has been sheared on a shearing machine, although they can also be made from sheep wool. A Moroccan rug made from sheep wool requires a lot of processing because of its coarse nature. Moroccan rugs can be categorized according to their textures. There are berber Moroccan rugs which have a very soft and silky texture. There are also jute, Moroccan rugs which are very stiffer but they retain their shape when placed inside a room.
There is a big difference between these two types of Moroccan rugs. Jute and Berber Moroccan rugs can be recognized easily by looking at their colors. Berber Moroccan rugs do not have any distinguishable colors apart from white, tan, or shade of brown. On the other hand, jute Moroccan carpets may have varying shades of colors depending on the type of pile used as well as the color of the wool. It is a good idea to take a Moroccan rug to a professional who is trained to examine and evaluate them. This is the only way to ensure that you will get the right kind of carpet for your home.