NO TWO KILIMS ARE EVER ALIKE

Handwoven Moroccan rugs bear a wide range of artistic symbols. These carpets are also known as "kilims", which is a turkish word that denotes a pileless textile of many uses produced by flatweaving techniques that have a closely related heritage and are practiced in the geographical area that includes parts of Turkey, North Africa, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia and China.

Early 20th-century zanafi rug, made by the Ait Tamassine, a subclan of the Ait Ouaouzguite, using a technique combining pile and flatweave with twining, J. Jereb Collection.

Moroccan rugs are some of the most remarkable and impressive in Africa. The rhythmic variations of design patterns, the variety of textures, the vibrant colours and the power they embody with their symbols, make them quite distinct from other African and Islamic textiles.

For the non-nomadic urban and rural people, these rugs can function as interior furniture as well as decoration such as bed, blanket, cloak, pillow and saddle.

For nomadic and semi-nomadic people, the rug can become the roof, wall and doors, whether a house or a tent. The vibrant colours and motifs of the rug counterbalance the often dimly lit houses in villages.

Certain types of these carpets have a sacred status and are used in ceremonial functions. For example, a handira is used to wrap a bride during her journey to her new home.

 Magic. w e a v i n g

BARAKA Weaving

Sacred decorative weavings contain baraka (Arabic: "blessing") is a blessing power, a kind of continuity of spiritual presence. Berber culture can be defined by its age-old customs, rituals and beliefs. Berber have an animistic culture inspired from the natural world. It is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. All things are perceived as animated and alive whether it is animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and perhaps even words. The artistic vocabulary of Imazighen people (also known as Berber) contains references to the sun, moon, stars, plants and animals. 

The protective symbols ornating Berber rugs have magical and mystical properties. They can ward off evil and bring good luck, depending on the significance of each symbol used.

According to J. F. Jereb, a visual artist that has devoted many years to the study of Morocco and its traditional arts, the loom itself is said to represent magical protection as it is thought to possess baraka. "During the process of yarn production, there is a constant awareness of the spirit world on the part of the artisan. Wool is considered lucky, although the weaver must always be on her guard that evil does not enter between the threads during the weaving. Mushats, the weaver's hammer comb have handle carved with designs meant to avert evil; these talismanic symbols are also woven into many Moroccan tribal textiles. If the weaver takes all the necessary precautions in remembering the number and combination of threads to produce a design, the finished textile will not only give aesthetic pleasure, but be imbued with talismanic power and contain baraka, acting as a 'power shield' against the evil eye and the djoun" (Arabic: "demon").