A rare Ait Sgougou rug, 1970s-80s, featuring a very unusual composition with a drawing-like character. The open red field in the background shows a beautiful variation of color, ranging from undyed brown wool to various shades of muted red and coral. The rug is entirely made of wool with the exception of a few yarns in green and turquoise that are visible in the warp on the right edge of the rug. Please note: This piece shows minor signs of usage in the lower part of the field.

The AIT SGOUGOU are a small tribe (divided into six subtribes) in the western Middle Atlas, bordering the Zemmour in the west, the Gerouan in the north, the Beni Mguild in the east and the Zayane in the south. Their tribal territory is long and narrow with the town of Oulmes in the northwest and Mrirt in the southeast. The women of the Ait Sgougou tribe were already making carpets as a source of income in the 1920s (noted by Prosper Ricard). Their pattern repertoire was sometimes influenced by the Zayan, but they were also known for the monochrome, mostly red and orange pile rugs with an abrash in the open field. The warp is usually made of red wool, sometimes black and more rarely dark blue warp threads. In the early 1990s, the monochromatic red carpets with striking color variation were produced in large quantities due to high demand on the market. Ait Sgougou rugs were also searched after for their minimalist abstract compositions, which were produced in small quantities for personal use.