A prestigious Beni Mguild rug from the central Middle Atlas, 2nd quarter 20th century, with a lively „double V“ pattern, made by a female master weaver. At first sight this rug appears very classic. It is only the second glance that reveals the countless playful variations in pattern breaking up formality. Additionally, the two open purple sections at the bottom leave space for more “breath”, taking density off the overall design. This is a fine example of an older, skillful weaving from the Beni Mguild tribe. Please note: This rug can be used on both sides, flatweave or pile side, depending on your needs. A high res image of the back side is available upon request.

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.