Everything You Need to Know When Buying Genuine Vintage Rugs

Moroccan tribal rugs have become a novelty item to look out for during the past few decades. These rugs have reached international popularity, and it is understandable why many people would like to find an authentic vintage rug. If you want to buy one for your home or add to your collection, this article is for you!

Like any other in-demand product, there will always be fake versions trying to be passed off as the real thing on the market. To the untrained eye, the resemblance may be uncanny. However, if you know what to look for, you will almost certainly be able to ensure that you are buying the real thing.

 

Everything You Need to Know When Buying Genuine Vintage Rugs

There are many types of rugs that you may find and want to buy for your home. Authentic made-for-home Berber rugs hold important value in terms of quality and tradition. Many rugs currently exist and are being sold in various places around the world. However, there are some telltale signs to help buyers determine age and authenticity. 

The Colors Used Are Special

Historic Moroccan rugs will have bold, deep, and daring colors woven into them. The use of dark colors depended on the region that the rugs were made in because at the time, synthetic dyes were not widely used yet. Vivid and fiery colors like reds, oranges and violets are colors that mark an older rug because at the time, only vegetable dyes were available. 

What Makes Vintage Rugs Unique?

Vintage rugs are considered to be highly unique with designs that are not found anywhere else. This is because these rugs were usually woven at home by the families themselves. These family weavers would have taken control of the entire process of making the rugs. Everything from taking care of the sheep that produce the wool, to dying the yarn, to hand-tying the knots of the rug’s design were done by the families who made them. These give vintage Moroccan rugs a deep-rooted sense of culture and designs that can never be replicated in a factory or rug manufacturing facility that makes mass-produced rugs. 

Finding the Real Thing

One way to ensure that you are looking at an authentic Moroccan vintage rug is that it should not look like it was made for the modern home. Since these rugs were made in another time and era, they should naturally have the look that comes with a different culture and people that do not exist in modern day anymore. 

Conclusion

Now that you are aware of what sets Moroccan rugs apart from others in the market, you will now be able to discern what is an original from a cheap copy. Also, buying only from legitimate sources and shops will assure you that you are getting the best quality. True blue shops will offer you a range of choices and various collections to choose from. Finding a legitimate rug shop should be the first step in your quest to ensure that you find and buy an original Moroccan  rug. 

If you want to get your hands on beautiful rugs, come to Atlas Weavers! We are a fair trade artisan project and a premier supplier of authentic Moroccan decorative rugs. Get authentic Moroccan rugs from our shop today!

source https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/everything-you-need-to-know-when-buying-genuine-vintage-rugs

Beni Ourain Rugs and the history of the Berbers tribes of north Africa

Very few North African Berber Beni Ourain rugs, Beni Mguild and Beni Alaham and weavings, with the exception of those from the south of Morocco have found their way to Europe; even the most recent products, are rarely seen here. Thus the study of North African Berber tribal weaving, like that of the applied arts from the same area, has been passed over by most writers on Islamic culture. Only the French with their territorial interests have given a degree of time and scholarship to the classification of the urban and nomad arts of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. In the context of weaving, we should mention P. Richard’s Corpus des Tapis Marocains (1923) and L. Poinssot’s and J. Revault’s Tapis Tunisiens (1950-7).
In the early years of the spread of Islam, the areas called Maghreb and Ilfrikiya, which now comprise Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, were backwaters of the Moorish empire of Spain, although the Moors were of North African descent. In the first half of the 8th century, the Moors founded an Emirate based on Cordoba, which was under the direct rule of the Damascus Umayyad Caliphate. In A.D. 750, when the Umayyads were defeated and the Abbasid Caliphate founded, the Moors remained faithful to the Umayyads, and in A.D. 929 founded their own anti-Abbasid Umayyad Caliphate at Cordoba. This city became one of the great cultural centres of Western Islam, reaching its apogee under Abd-ar-Rahman III (A.D. 912-61) and his successors Hakam II (A.D. 961-76) and Hisham II (A.D. 976-1009), spreading the influence of the Umayyad style throughout Spain and North Africa.
In the 11th and 12th centuries, North Africa, like Moorish Spain and Egypt, was under the rule of various Berber dynasties. The Sultanate of the Almoravids (1087-1147) established their capital at Marrakesh, the first and only time that Moorish Spain was ruled from North Africa. During this time, the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba having been defeated, allegiance was given to the Abbasid Caliphate, although the Moorish empire remained autonomous. The Almoravids had little interest in art, but under their successors, the Almohads (1147-1235), the first flowerings of the new Moorish style appeared. During this time, the Fatamid Caliphate, another anti-Abbasid group, who had been rulers in parts of North Africa since A.D. 909, gained control of Egypt. They, too, were Berbers, as were the Idrisids of Fez, in what is now the northernmost part of Morocco, who ruled from A.D. 788 to A.D. 974, the Aghlabids, who ruled in Kairouan, now in Tunisia, from A.D. 800 to A.D. 909, and their successors, the Zirids (A.D. 909-1150), who were related to the Fatamid rulers of Egypt. The Almohads unifies much of North Africa and Spain. After their decline, the area broke into several groups, the Nasrids in Granada ruling from 1232 to 1490, the Merinids in Fez from 1216 to 1470 and the Hafsids in Tunis from 1228 to 1574; at about the same time, the Mamluks established their empire in Egypt. From the late 15th century, the Ottomans established either direct rule or strong influence over the whole of North Africa. This remained the case until the present century, when it fell subject to European, especially French and British, territorial expansion.
Although we have evidence that carpet weaving was carried on in Moorish Spain and Egypt from a very early period (existing Spanish carpets from the 14th

 

 

source https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/beni-ourain-rugs

Essaouira and it's heritage of Moroccan Rugs

The Moroccan city Essaouira handmade rugs textiles or Mogador as it was once called, is one of the most famous little places in Morocco. Orson Welles came here when he needed a location for Othello, and centuries earlier the Portuguese captured the town in an attempt to dominate Atlantic trade. It is not hard to see why Welles chose this old fishing port, idyllically situated on a promontory overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Even today, Essaouira, weather viewed from the sea, from the fort guarding the harbor entrance or from inside the narrow laneways of the old city, is unchanged since the time when it was a Portuguese stronghold. Long before Welles came here to make a film, the Romans came to make purple. On a tiny island just off the entrance to the harbor, Emperor Juba II established dye works for the production of purple, the most sought-after colour in the Roman Empire. As a symbol of rank and honor, the prestige attached to a purple cloak was unimaginable. Thus the dye works entrusted with this rare and precious commodity were kept strictly low-profile. The tribal inhabitants of Mauritania, as it was then known, were already skilled in preparing dyes from local vegetable and mineral sources. Indigo was used for blues and greens, madder root for red, pomegranates skins for black, saffron and almond leaves for yellow, and tea and henna for red-brown earth tones. The  purple comes from the murex shell.

 

 

source https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/essaouira-and-its-heritage-of-moroccan-rugs

3 Essential Rug Care Tips Every Pet Owner Should Know

Owning a pet has its advantages. However, it’s undoubtedly a pretty challenging thing to keep your house clean if you have a cat or dog at home. Aside from the mess, pets can also cause damage to furniture and upholstery.

And to make matters worse, most pets target rugs and carpets. Since these materials are soft and plush, these lovely creatures often find it interesting to scratch, chew, and pee on them. If you need help in protecting your stylish rugs at home, here are three essential rug care tips for pet-loving owners:

1. Always Keep Pet Nails Trimmed

If you’re worried about your pets causing damage to your rugs, you don’t have to go to grave lengths such as de-clawing just to make sure their nails won’t compromise your pieces at home. In fact, just keeping their nails trimmed will do the trick.

If it’s possible, it would also be helpful to file their nails after trimming. In this way, their nails won’t be too long and sharp, which can prevent fabric snagging and running. This technique can even aid you in protecting other furniture from scratches.

2. Make it a Habit to Vacuum Often

Indeed, pets typically make a lot of mess. And though your pet does not shed a lot of fur, dander, debris, and dirt can still accumulate on your rugs since your pet is always roaming around different parts of your home.

For this reason, it’s vital that you make it a habit to vacuum your rugs and carpets frequently. This will eliminate trapped debris, allergen, fur, and many more in the fibers of your rugs. But there’s no actual need to fuss over cleaning up every single day. As much as possible, vacuum at least twice a week.

3. Potty Train Your Pet Properly

For some owners, dogs, unlike cats, can be challenging to potty train. But if you want to keep your furry pet from peeing on your rugs or carpets, it’s essential to teach them where they should pee or poop. In this way, you’ll be safe from the tedious task of cleaning your rugs due to stench and stains.

In the event that your pet does pee on your precious rug, then you must act on it immediately. Make sure to clean it quickly, as pet urine can stain and damage your flooring piece. And if you don’t have the time to wash your rug straight away, you can use a mild mixture of vinegar, water, and baking soda to clean the affected area.

Conclusion

As a pet owner and a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to protect both your home and your pet. And contrary to what others think, you really don’t have to make a choice between either of the two. Indeed, owning a pet can be delightful and problematic at the same time. But if you keep the tips above in mind, you’ll find that it’s not at all that difficult to keep your rugs safe, even when you have a cat or dog!

Atlas Weavers is a premier supplier of authentic Moroccan rugs handwoven with expert care and technique. Our aim is to provide clients with a means to experience the rich Moroccan tradition and culture through our creations. We also offer rug restoration services. If you require a reliable artisan to restore your damaged rug, give us a call to schedule an appointment!

source https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/3-essential-rug-care-tips-every-pet-owner-should-know