Fall 2005 Sale
The items in this section are special because nearly all usually "live" in Morocco, but right now they are in the US. The women from the villages of N'kob and Ben Smim generously gave them to me on consignment to sell at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe this summer. I brought an especially nice selection, and while many rugs sold, it seems I overestimated the quantity. Thus the rugs here must be sold by Oct. 30 or be returned to the weavers in Morocco. While I cannot cut the price the women get for the rugs, they are less expensive here than they would usually be on the Internet because the price includes shipping within the US, not all the way from Morocco. Thus if you would like to do some early holiday shopping, this is your chance. You can pay by money order, cashier's check or PayPal online. Remember, any pieces not purchased by Oct. 30 will go back to Morocco.
All these items are handwoven and are wool or a combination of
cotton and wool (many capes are the latter). I have a variety of items: flatwoven
rugs or kilims, pile or knotted rugs, women's capes, a few pair of unique slippers
and three collector's items at the end. All are shown below. In order to get
these online more quickly I have not included photos of the weavers this time.
If you buy a rug and would like a woman's photo, I will be glad to send it.
Prices include Priority shipping and insurance in
the US; others can ask for prices.
Flatweaves
Piece 5.15184 was made by Anaya Zahiri in N'kob, but almost looks like it could be from the American Southwest. You can see some abrash or color variation (one mark of a handwoven rug) in the rusty orange in this photo, and you can see the fine weaving in the close-up. The figures above my hand are fibulas, decorative pins traditionally used to hold layers of clothing together. This measures 3'9" x 6'7" (114 x 201 cm) and costs $350.
Piece 5.14898 is a long narrow runner in a true red; it looks too orange in this picture but the color is better in the close-up. You can also see there the different techniques used. The blue squares are a traditional woven design, while the others look like embroidery but the work is woven. This piece is longer than shown, with the blue squares at the center. The left end, cut off, is the same as the right side. It was made by Ijja Seqqat and her sisters in N'kob; her mother is one of the master weavers. The size is about 2 1/2' x 8 1/4 ' and the price $260.
Piece 5.14942 is another red flatweave, with a different layout and size. You can see the designs better in the close-up, and ignore the lines - it was just unpacked before the photo. It was made by Kebira Izourne who is married and has one son; she is from N'kob and did not want to be photographed. This piece measures about 3'2" x 6'8" and costs $260.
Piece 4.0037 is a bit older and heavier small red flatweave from Fatima Zohra Oushqir, a young mother in Ben Smim in the Middle Atlas Mountains. The ground is a rich dark red and most of the design strips use white and primary colors, except the orange border. You can see the colors well in this detail. The size is about 3 1/2' x 5 1/2 ' (41" x 67") and the price is $225.
Piece 4.6149 is a modern small Zemmour flatweave made by Halima Abbadi in Ben Smim. These rugs usually contain orange in addition to the colors here; this piece is unusual. You can see in the close-up that it also has a few sequins. It measures about 40" x 66" and costs $175.
Piece 3.6020 is more typical of the Ben Smim area, although the bright pink, yellow, orange and green are relatively recent. They are probably acrylic sweater yarn, since local dyers don't usually make these colors. The strong design elements, like the colorful "3s" in some of the white rows, are also fairly recent. On the other hand, the red and white diamonds on the left of the hand in this detail are very traditional, as are the sequins. This piece measures about 3'2" x 5' (96 x 152 cm) and costs $310.
Piece 3.12938 is a large rug with a rich red ground and design stripes containing red, forest green, a rich yellow and a little neon orange, turquoise and soft pink. You can see the clearly woven design here. The border has a zig-zag design with turquoise accents, and there are also sequins. It was made by Khadija Boodan, a single woman who does field labor near Ben Smim to support herself and her mother, and weaves to augment that. The size is about 6' x 10'3" and the price is $420.
Piece 4.0001 is a large new flatweave in blue and white, unusual colors for Ben Smim. It was woven by Fatima Lrhachi, who uses her earnings to buy school clothes and books for her children; she has a daughter at the university. The design is clearer in this close-up. This piece measures about 5'3" x 10' (160 x 305 cm) and costs $495.
Piece 4.0039 is an older flatweave in soft colors from Fatima Zohra Oushqir in Ben Smim. Sometimes a red and a rose-violet are combined in the same stripe, and there is also a soft green, a deep blue and a maroon-black. You can see some of the colors and the sheen on the yarn in this detail. The size is about 4'10" x 7'8" and the price is $395.
