Berber rug Beni Ouarain

The Berber carpet Beni Ouarain is one of the most famous carpets of Morocco.
Highly sought after by interior designers for its geometric patterns and colors.
A thick carpet 100% wool, a creation of the tribe Beni Ouarain in high wool.

Origin of the Beni Ouarain rug

Beni Ouarain rugs are handmade Berber rugs originating from the region of the Taza corridor located in the Middle Atlas, northeast of Morocco.

Functions

Initially these traditional and thick carpets had mainly two functions.

• The first was to protect the Beni Ouarain tribes from the severe cold caused by the corridor of Taza. The largest carpets were placed on the ground of the Berber tents, thus forming a barrier against the cold. The smaller sizes served as a cover during the cold winter nights.
• The second function was financial. rugs were used as a monastic exchange when tribes were going through difficult times. And dowry at weddings.

Rug conception

An ancestral conception ensured by the Berber women of the Beni Ouarain tribes.
A traditional know-how that weavers transmit to their daughters.

Even today, these rugs are made on the same looms. The structure (the chain) is made according to the kilim technique with a particularly resistant wool. The design is woven in knots high dense wool. A technique to obtain very soft and dense carpets.
Before using or storing them, they are intensely scrubbed and washed, accentuating an incomparable softness.

Specific tribal motifs

The tribes of Beni Ouarain remain far from the other Berber tribes, a reality largely in a very steep mountainous relief.

A situation that explains very different patterns of decorative influences of other tribes. Isolated in the north-east of the Middle Atlas, the Beni Ouarains compose asymmetrical geometric patterns, minimalist drawings where we find lines, diamonds and triangles woven in knots knotted on virgin wool.
Attracted by these minimalist designs, Henri Matisse drew inspiration from them in many works.  But it is from the 70s, that Beni Ouarains carpets enter the interior decor of Western countries.

An exceptional wool

The wool comes from the Marmoucha breed, rustic sheep whose wool is characterized by ivory and golden reflections. A rare wool explaining the value of rugs.

Both the quality of their wool, their natural color and the quality of their manufacture make them exceptional carpets. Sustainable artisanal production respecting the environment.