In Morocco, weaving is a traditional family art that dates back to the eighth century, known by the Berber tribes and called “Azetta” whose techniques remain a female tradition that is transmitted from mother to daughter. The Berber carpets do not use any model and are based on the only inspiration of the woman who makes them and the Berber world: its environment and its history related to the various Muslim, Jewish or Christian civilizations.
Each carpet becomes unique and original by its material, its colors, its patterns and its history.
The evaluation of the carpet is done by its quality and its value which is determined from its age, its place of manufacture, the quality of its wool and its material, the technique of weaving, its design, its embroidery, its color, its knotting and its fringe finishing.
TYPES OF RUGS
The art of the Berber carpet differs according to the regions:
– The carpets of the Middle Atlas of the region of Meknes Rabat: tribe Zemmour, Zaer, Zaiane, Bani Mtir, Ait Sgougou, Beni Mguil …
– Beni Ouarain carpets from the Middle Atlas region: large white carpets with fine black or brown geometric patterns.
– The carpets of the High Atlas and Djebel Siroua
– The carpets of the Anti-Atlas.
– The carpets of Haouz of Marrakech, a carpet of the rural tribes of Rehamma, H’mar, Oulad Bousebaa, Ahmar, Chiadma.
– The Taznakht carpets
Three types of Moroccan carpets predominate in the Moroccan tapestry: BENI OURAIN, AZILAL AND BOUCHAROUETTE
TECHNIQUES AND WEAVING CYCLE
The weaving is strictly feminine, in spring, the shearing of the sheep and the purchase of the wool fleeces are the responsibility of men. The weaving cycle starts with the washing of the raw wool, the drying in the sun, then the cleaning and the sorting of the washed wool; put on the ground the wool dries in the sun and whitens.
At the end of winter, the weaving cycle begins with the preparation of the specialized weaving tools: combs, cards, distaffs and baskets. The women sit on the floor and proceed to carding and spinning to work the weft thread by a back and forth.
The techniques also differ we distinguish: The Tazerbite, the carpet Glaoua of the High Atlas, and the Zanifi.
MOTIVES AND SYMBOLS
The beauty of Berber carpets would not be without the patterns and symbols that are presented by geometric shapes, by the Tifinagh letters: writing of the Amazigh people, or by illustrations representing nature, animals, events or environments or even emotions.
The symbols and illustrations most known and used for example: The teapot, butterflies, zigzag line, Berber cross, the X sign, the diamond and the chevron.
TREATMENT OF COLORS
Berber women dyed the wool themselves using vegetable and mineral products and still use traditional local methods.
The wool can be worked naturally (brown, black, ecru) or dyed in color baths.
Natural bright colors such as :
– Blue obtained from the indigo tree, called Nila, red obtained from madder, yellow obtained from a kind of broom and purple come from plants and berries such as henna bush, pomegranate, fig and tea leaf that grow in the Atlas, green, also obtained from wild mint, walnut leaves, pomegranate bark used.
– The natural black color comes directly from the wool of sheep and goats in mountainous regions.
– The rich gradations of bright yellow and pastel as well as ochre obtained from tea, saffron, daphne, broom and mimosa petals.
– The indigo of the Sahara used in the vegetable state or in the form of blocks.
– A range of shades is obtained from flowers, leaves, fruits, insects dried in the sun, finely crushed and sifted.
– Shades ranging from blood red to brown through a more or less bright orange obtained from madder root, cochineal, purple, poppy, henna, walnut bark, pomegranate and apple tree.
– The soft pink, lavender and parma obtained from rose petals, the old pink comes from jujube seeds.
In recent years, weavers have expanded the choice of tones and colors with the appearance of chemical dyes such as bright yellow and electric blue.
Remains the natural most required because of its nobility, its authenticity and its environmental protection.
The Berber carpet represents a great wealth of Moroccan craft heritage, sought internationally and in all types of decoration even contemporary trends, also present in international fairs and exhibitions where artisans exhibit real masterpieces to the delight of all visitors.
SABRA OR VEGETABLE SILK
Sabra, also called vegetable silk, is a fabric that resembles silk by its touch and its shiny and silky aspect, hence the name “vegetable silk”, extracted from the Aloe Vera plant known in cosmetics for its health, well being and beauty.
In the craft industry, Sabra has been very successful in traditional Moroccan clothing, trimmings and decoration. Sabra can be pure or composed of synthetic materials (viscose in particular) and coupled with wool, cotton, linen or velvet. The threads are assembled: woven, twisted or braided
This diversity of techniques, shapes and colors has allowed craftsmen to create several categories of products and creations: bags, scarves, cushions, poufs, plaid, curtains, stoles, hangings, pompons, curtain braid, braids (sfifa) and accessories.
The sabra has become a material much required by weavers.
PARTICULARITIES
The particular aspect of sabra is due to the structure of its fibers, of triangular section, they behave like prisms and reflect the light by giving the fabric the silky aspect which characterizes it. Elastic at 15%, sabra is almost wrinkle-free, less fragile than silk, it is machine washable at 40° C, which makes it a fabric recommended for interior decoration and ready-to-wear.
WEAVING TECHNIQUES
The treatment of the plant begins with the retting, it is the maceration that we make undergo to the textile plants such as the flax or the hemp, to facilitate the separation of the filamentous bark with the stem, the leaves of the plant are thus soaked in water so that we can extract the fibers of it, we finish the operation by spreading the fibers and by letting them dry during a few days.
The retting is sufficient when the fibers separate easily from each other along the length of the stem. The fibers are then traditionally spun on a low-warp loom and dyed in thousands of shades and colors that will delight artisans and buyers alike.