Berber carpet Azilal 196x103cm

The Azilal carpets come from the steep Berber region of Azilal, located in the remote and very difficult mountains of the High Atlas of Morocco, about 180 km northeast of Marrakech. Reserved exclusively for women, Azilal Berber carpets are made alternately of patterns consisting of a knotted line and one or two lines woven from virgin wool, according to a cultural ritual passed from mother to daughter for generations. The Azilal carpets show a great creativity in terms of drawings, They combine irregular and abstract patterns, many Berber symbols and graphics often based on diamonds. Originally, these carpets are made for family use, to cope with the cold of the High Atlas. Fruit of the imagination of the gnarled, true works of art comparable to abstract paintings, the carpets of Azilal are rare and were almost unknown on the market until the 90s. Their originality and their immense graphic force deeply inspired many artists like Matisse, Paul Klee or Le Corbusier. This model composed of lozenges and tribal patterns plays the contrast of tones between red and black. In places, however, there are unbleached threads that make up the bottom. Pure hand-knotted virgin wool, vegetable dye. It dates from around 70 years, it is in very good condition.