Vintage Moroccan berber rug

Taznakht carpet is made of knots on two lines; their bottom is yellow with dense geometrical drawings which are red, dark green, or broken white. Each rug can take a few months to a year to complete. The weaving techniques have been passed down through the generations. This is a way the Berber women carefully preserve their heritage of technique and knowledge passing down messages in wool from one generation to another creating textiles full of life and charm.

Hanbel is a woven rug, lighter and less thick than the typical carpet. It is used as a cover for sofas or decoration during national or private feasts. Sometimes, it is used instead of carpets. It is produced in Zayane, Zemmour, and Ouazguita.

Either genuine wool or good quality cotton is used to make Hanbel carpets. Threads are well spun and clean. The colors of Hanbel carpets are typically red, yellow, green, black, and brown. These colors are extracted from the plants in the Hanbel region. Originally made in Berber regions, the Hanbel contains patterns whose forms and features are inspired by nature and whose contours are inspired by Amazigh script.

There are little known and more varied flat weaves (often called kilims) from the Middle Atlas Mountains, with some Glawa or Tazenakht pile pieces from the High Atlas south of Marrakesh, especially in the Women Weavers OnLine section. Nearly all the flat weaves are in wool, with white designs (usually in cotton) for contrast, and the pile pieces are usually all wool. Floor pieces range from about 3×5 feet to 5×8 feet, though some are larger. The rectangular shape fits Moroccan rooms, in which many have already been used

What unites all Moroccan carpets is a creative, archaic spirit and a language of rural symbols and motifs. Old tribal carpets can be spontaneous and bold. Some are very plain, others full of complex motifs; some are colorful while other feature subtle hues.