A cheerful Boujad rug, early 2000s, featuring a lively design in muted tones, punctuated by vibrant specks of bold pink, neon green and yellow. Most of the composition is based on a checkerboard pattern, yet the overall pattern is reminiscent of a landscape, and one can sense the weaver’s joy in the composition, which appears to have been created freely and spontaneously. Rugs of this size are very rare, as they were seldom produced in this format.

BOUJAD rugs are made by Arab groups and Arabized Berber groups but they are named after the town of Boujad. The surrounding region of this town lies in the western foothills of the Middle Atlas adjoining the Zaer tribal territory in the extreme western corner, and the town Beni Mellal at the northernmost edge of Western High Atlas. The knotted rugs have typically a low pile and are often made with mixed materials such as wool, cotton, textile scraps and industrial yarns. Their designs are often highly individual containing Berber motifs, motifs found in Rabat rugs, distorted checkerboard fields and gestural abstract patterns- all in lively colors.