Mid-20th Century Moroccan Ivory and Brown Handmade Wool Rug BB3522 10'7" × 16'8" $18,000

A mid 20th century white Moroccan rug, the ivory field with a loosely drawn lattice of stepped lozenges overall.

Moroccan rugs are made in the five regions of Morocco: the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas, Rabat, Eastern Morocco and the Atlantic plains. Retaining an authentic indigenous character and woven by Berber tribes living much as they did centuries ago, vintage Moroccan flat woven and knotted pile vintage area rugs are remarkably diverse in style, but all share the characteristics of bold color, thick shaggy pile, naive yet charming motifs and lively patterns of geometric elements.

Each tribe with its own distinct repertoire of designs and colors signify both the ceremonial and day to day life of the group. The vivacious oranges and sunny yellows in Moroccan antique oriental rugs of the High Atlas, the dramatic light blue and camel tones of the Rabat vintage carpets, or the neutrality of the ivory and charcoal ground Beni Ouarain vintage oriental rugs are ideal for the chic and contemporary interiors of the twentieth century.

From versatile flatweaves to shaggy hand-knotted area rugs or runners, Moroccan rugs are both decorative and functional. They are valued for their technical qualities, expert use of fibers, great tensile strength, and abrasion resistance. Without a doubt, the original tribal Moroccan rugs from the Doris Leslie Blau collection bring character and a touch of worldliness to an interior.