A considerably old Beni Mguild, first quarter 20th century (or earlier), with an underlying grid structure in the overall design. The chequered pattern with small variations is highlighted against a dark background with a compelling color variation. The particular shades, including indigo and yellow, indicate that this pile rug is most probably entirely made with natural dyes (no use of chemical dyes). The wool fibers need to be tested in the chemistry lab to proof the hypothesis. Similar examples of this type of rug can be found in several publications (more information 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.