Moroccan Rug Buying Tips
A Moroccan rug is the weaving, carpets, and weaves that are traditionally hand-woven by the Moroccans in Morocco. Traditionally, Moroccans have woven rugs for their utility as opposed to for decorative purposes. Rug making is an art that has been passed down from one generation to another.
The fibers that make up a berber rug are derived from a variety of sources including wool, silk , and animals skin The weaving techniques used are also based on the geography and topography of the country. The most commonly used in the country are those made from jute, moroccan wool.
Moroccans use wool in the construction of their rugs because wool is the sturdiest of all fibers. Jute and olefin fibers are softer and are considered to be less durable than wool. In addition, the construction of the fibers in moroccan rugs is also based on whether it is made with or without pile. Those that are handmade using pile are considered to be the best quality.
The Berbers are one of the oldest tribes and their artwork, patterns, and designs are some of the most unique in the world. The art is typically very well detailed and the focus is on color and design instead of size and shape. Their wool is usually pinkish and light brown and their handmade rugs often have an exotic look.
Berber tribes produce rugs that are dark brown with a few red colors and swirls. They use only natural dyes and never chemicals. For example, if they dye a sheep's wool into red, the resulting color will not have the same red hue when it dries. Since the dye used for this type of rug is natural, it is darker than most natural dyes. However, the darker the color, the more rich and shiny it will be.
