Berber Amazigh carpet: identity, characteristics

This is the case for any cultural, artistic, and folkloric act, we can consider the Berber Amazigh carpet as an art object whose basis is the whole knowledge of the ancestral civilization of the peoples who tried to express their knowledge by several decorative means, such as sculptures, potteries, carpets, jewels, drawings..., or by oral literature which is illustrated by poems, tales, proverbs.... or even by music, song, and dance. This article tries to present the mystery of the Berber Amazigh carpet, its identity, and its characteristics.

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The characteristics of the Berber Amazigh carpet:

Amazigh carpets are works of art made in homes with great pastoral traditions, usually from livestock and agriculture (thus rural homes). The manufacture of these traditional carpets, whatever their form, requires certain conditions, means and basic materials, including:

–  pure and good quality woolIt is the raw material that is transformed into threads of different sizes and properties,

– 100% natural dyes and biological;

–  A loom (appropriate equipment) of several forms that depend on the desired use; 

–  Skilled people who master all weaving techniques traditional and decorative motifs.

The weaving of Berber carpets is an essential activity in several contexts playing an important economic role in the existence of families. While relying on a traditional mode of marketing, based on barter. 

Sociologically, the Amazigh man and woman work in cooperation. The role of the wife is weaving and modelling carpets while the role of the husband is limited to marketing in the weekly markets, while taking care of the purchase of all the necessities of daily life.

Artistically, the best Amazigh carpet is the one that is made in several regions using local natural products (wool, dyes, patterns ...). 

The decorative motifs found in carpets are an expression of the culture of the tribe making the carpet. These motives are an illustration of the cohabitation that has always existed in these Amazigh tribes with different people of different beliefs and civilizations (Muslims, Jews, Berbers, Christians).

It is always a characteristic of the Berber tribes, the spirit of tolerance and cohabitation are characteristic.

Mastering the art of carpet weaving is a generational art and learning tradition. Each Amazigh community is characterized by a common traditional visual language influencing the tribe's knitting and weaving techniques.

It should also be mentioned that this tradition is threatened by the hordes of middlemen who exploit Amazigh women to the fullest, which results in a lack of income from their art.

This is a current problem that Amazigh women are trying to solve. An answer, was found by the journalist of The Christian Science Monitor Taylor Luck, in the bustling Moroccan carpet market of Khemisset, an Amazigh town 80 kilometers southeast of the capital Rabat, cutting out the middlemen who are mostly men:

« Over the past three decades, women in the town have partnered with relatives and contacts in outlying villages to sell rugs and carpets directly to vendors. The business has grown to include 40 local women vendors who value and sell the wares of 400 women from surrounding Berber villages. It is estimated that each Tuesday, this small souk supports up to 1,000 people.« .

And he adds:

"Before dawn, Khemisset merchants like Fatima Rifiya gather at the market to wait for the dozens of women from remote Berber villages (the locals refer to themselves as Amazigh, which means "free people") who arrive by horse-drawn carriage at 4 a.m. The saleswomen and middlemen then rummage through the piles of carpets, evaluating each piece according to its size, color, thickness, weave and pattern. The women of Khemisset say the secret to their success is an eye for desirability - tailoring each rug to the target audience and the buyer who never knew they needed it all along.  "Each rug already has its place. We just play the role of matchmaker," Rifiya says as she rolls out a red kilim rug for a customer who is struggling to hide her impatience."

Taylor Luck goes on to say that once the mats are sorted, the women in between start selling to the male buyers:

"The carpet merchants come from Marrakech and Fez. Men weave in and out of the small stalls, muttering, "Really, it's too much," or "I swear to God I can get half that price somewhere else. But Ms. Rifiya and her siblings hold their ground. She and some of the more experienced sellers, like Faten, act not only as translators for the Berber weavers, but also as coaches in how to barter and sell. Simple rules such as: Never appear desperate for a sale. Let the customer go, they will always come back. Add 20% to your preferred price to open the negotiation. A customer who buys one rug is always more likely to buy more.

The art of Berber weaving is a real mosaic due to the decorative patterns of different weavings from one tribe to another. 

The Ait Ouaouzguit Center, near Ouarzazate, is one of the main centers of artisanal carpet production. It is a world-renowned center located in the High Atlas, where Berber carpets have been made for centuries. 

As a center of crafts and Berber carpets, Ait Ouaouzguit is in turn composed of several production points including: Tamassin - Ait Semgane - Ai Waya - Ait Ougharda - Tidili - Taznakht - Ait Ouchen - Ait Ameur, Znaga and Sektana as neighboring points.

The production of Amazigh carpets is a production with a decoration and motifs specific to each tribe. It can be subdivided as follows:

– Middle Atlas carpets (Meknes region, Rabat): Zemmour, Zaer, Zaiane, Bani Mtir, Ait Sgougou and Beni M'guil;

– Middle Atlas carpets (region of Fez - Taza): Beni Ouarain, Ait Ighezzrane, Beni Alaham, Ait Halli, Ait Youssi, Ait Seghrouchène and Marmoucha; and

– Tapi of Ait Youb, Ait Izdeg and Ait Yaâcoub.

Another type of carpets is the carpets of Haouz of Marrakech which are part of the Amazigh carpets. This is the case of the Rehamna carpets, the H'mar carpets, and the Bousebaa carpets. These three tribes use a symmetrical knot using warp threads of goat hair or black wool.  The rows of knots are separated by four to twelve weft threads creating a red wool weft. The artistic composition uses simple patterns that take many forms.

The weaving of Amazigh kilim carpets is considered an art of weaving, embroidery, and even a Berber nomadic art. The embroidery patterns are unique to each tribe and family.

With an international reputation and in Morocco, the Amazigh carpets Taznakht and those of Zaiane are now a pride for Moroccan crafts. 

The carpet of Taznakht whose origin is the High Atlas is characterized by knots on two lines, a yellow background, geometric patterns, dense red, dark green and off white. 

The amazigh hanbal: 

Among the Amazighs, we find a work of art that was called the Hanbal. It is a woven piece, lighter and thinner are the use depending on the region: It can be used as a blanket, as a sofa or as a decoration during national or private celebrations. The production of Hanbal is done mainly in: Zaiane, Zemmour and Ouazguita using pure wool or cotton of high quality. 

The threads used in the weaving of the Hanbal are distinguished by sophisticated spinning and unparalleled cleanliness. The Hanbal is presented in different colors namely red with yellow, green, black and brown. To get these colors, women use plants existing in the Moroccan Atlas. Like the carpets, the Hanbal also carries specific motifs. 

So in this article, we have tried to present a detailed description of the Berber Amazigh carpet, its identity, and its characteristics. For more information about Moroccan decoration, please visit our blog.