Middle East, Textile, Carpet; Carpet, Morocco, 1860-1900

Carpet, hand knotted woollen pile on woollen warp and weft, Moroccan, late 19th century.
WARP: white and brown wool; Z2S; 13 threads per inch (50 per dm).
WEFT: red wool; Z-spun, unplied; predominantly 5 shoots after each row of knots but also 6 and 7 shoots; 5 knots per inch (20 per dm).
PILE: wool; 8 colours: red, light orange, yellow, green, blue, light blue, dark brown, white; symmetrical knot tied around two threads; 32 knots per sq.inch (500 per sq.dm).
SIDE FINISH: one cord oversewn with red wool.
END FINISH: Lower: incomplete. 2" (6 cms) plainweave in bands of red/white/red/green/red and ornage/yellow/orange/dark wool wool.
Upper: incomplete. 1" (3 cms) plainweave in bands of red/dark brown/red/yellow/red wool. A cord has been attached to each corner.
DESIGN: Field: a long rectangle with a light blue ground almost filled with a stepped and hooked hexagonal medallion which extends to the side edges. In the centre is a stylised rosette around a quartered diamond lying on a red stepped hexagon hooked within and without; this in turn lies on a similar yellow hexagon contained by a green hexagon with a line of small flowerheads in the lower part and larger quartered ones in the upper part. These and larger rosttes also ppear on the outermost red hexagon and on the light blue spandrel-like field which also bears, at both ends, a pari of yellow jagged diagonals parallel with the sides of the medallion. Above and below the field is a band with a red zigzag and a panel with a yellow ground. On this are 3 and one half rectangles decorated on all four sides with a V-motif and between them these enclose diamonds. The rectangles are divided vertically by contrasting colours.
Main Border: yellow ground. The lower part has 6 octagons each with a quartered diamond with horns linked on a horizontal bar abnd separated by a vertical bar ending in a stylised bud. This pattern is found along the side together with 4 other designs: a repeat of the rosette from the centre of the field; a large stylised rosette including 3 outlined by an S-motif; the rectangle from the panels above and below the field; a diamond-framed rosette on a rectangle withV-shaped motifs in the corner. The upper part is filled with a variation of the latter motif repeated 7 times.
Inner border: large stars in several colours with V-shaped mtoifs filling the spaces; no ground colour.
Guard stripe between main and outer borders: red ground. The upper part has a zigzag which separates the field and the upper and lower panels. The sides have interlocking triple hooked motifs in most colours. The lower part has a row of stylised carnations on stems.
Outer border: white ground. The side have a sprig with a large two-toned flower, a bud and large and small jagged leaves. The upper and lower parts have an elaborate almost reciprocal arrowhead design in white and green.
Above the upper outer border there are two bands: (1) a band of the zigzag found elsewhere (2) a yellow band with a right-angled red meander infilled with an occasional cross.
Catalogue Date: 20.5.98

The image shows almost half of a very long carpet. Each separate element in this design is simple and only eight colours have been used, but so many different patterns have been combined that the overall effect is detailed and complex. There are large patches along both sides.

T.18-1914