A highly unique Beni M’Guild rug from the central Middle Atlas, mid 20th century, with an unusual white background. Its design, hovering between a lozenge network and a free abstraction, is an exciting mixture of a traditional and an informal drawing. This is an older piece which is rare to find with such a high quality design in today’s market, and therefore solely suited for a low traffic area. It is in good condition, but in need of minor restoration. Repairs can be made after consultation with the new owner.

The tribal area of the BENI MGUILD is located in the central portion of the Middle Atlas with Azrou as the largest town in the territory. The Beni Mguild tribe is split up into nine sub-tribes divided into three zones: the Azaghar Plateau region, the ridges of the Middle Atlas proper, and the steppes of the Upper Moulouya Valley. The knotted rugs of the Beni Mguild have a high pile height (up to 4 cm/ 1.57 in) with a dense structure if used as sleeping rugs. The ones used as floor coverings for festive occasions are lower in pile and even denser in structure. The colors are usually brownish purple or burgundy red, white ones are highly unusual, and in rarer cases also blue or green. The rugs of the Beni Mtir, Ait Seghrouchène (with a dark background), Zayan, Guigou and Ait Sgougou are most often confused with the ones of the Beni Mguild.