Vintage Moroccan Red, Orange, Blue and Yellow Handwoven Wool Rug BB5966 7'5" × 17'5" $10,000

A turn of the century vintage Moroccan antique rug, this piece is an elaborate study in floral and geometric abstractions in a cornucopia of color, including orange, blues and yellows against a rich red field. Multiple ornate borders frame the vintage early 20th century carpet, adding to its bold use of color and design.

Moroccan rugs have typically been woven by tribal peoples for their utility rather than for decoration. These vintage carpets experienced a growth in popularity in the West when mid-century modern designers such as Le Corbusier paired the thick piled Berber vintage style area rugs with their minimalist furniture. Many of these Berber carpets are woven by the Beni Ourain peoples from the Rif Mountains near the city of Taza in northern Morocco. Colors vary from neutral shades to bright, stand-out hues, with designs ranging from geometric simplicity to free-flowing abstraction. The primitivist feel of many Moroccan carpets makes them attractive to modernist collectors.

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.