Vintage Azilal Berber Rug 5 × 11 ft (340 × 150 cm) | 14194

Vintage Moroccan Berber Rug · Azilal · The Djoharian Collection

Vintage Azilal Berber Rug – Rare Long Format with Abstract Geometric Motifs

A vintage Azilal from the High Atlas province of Morocco – hand-knotted on a cotton foundation, in a rare long 340 × 150 cm format with the free abstract geometry that distinguishes Azilal work.

Provenance and Tribal Heritage

Azilal rugs come from the High Atlas province of the same name, northeast of Marrakech – a remote mountain region reached only after hours of off-road driving. Berber women weave these rugs in small villages, often inside their own homes on low looms, which is why most Azilals come in modest formats. This is precisely what makes longer Azilals a rarity: the looms in village houses simply don’t accommodate them. At 340 cm length, this piece is well beyond the standard Azilal sizes (typically 150 × 100, 200 × 150, or 240 × 150 cm) and counted among the few longer examples that come through the trade.

This piece was hand-knotted by Berber weavers in the Azilal province of the High Atlas, Morocco, from 100% wool on a cotton foundation – a structural detail characteristic of Azilal work. Most other Moroccan Berber rugs use a wool foundation, but Azilals are almost always knotted on cotton, which gives the rug a slightly firmer hand and more defined drawing than wool-on-wool tribal weaves. The composition follows the Azilal vocabulary – a bright field carries free abstract geometric motifs arranged with the intuitive asymmetry that distinguishes Azilal work from the more disciplined Beni Ourain family.

Colour and Composition

The palette is built on a bright field with abstract geometric motifs in earth tones and accent colours. The asymmetric, intuitive arrangement reads as a narrative composition rather than a disciplined pattern – the rug rewards close looking and offers something new with each reading.

Presence in the Room

At 340 × 150 cm (5.1 m²) this is a generous long-format medium room-size piece. Three contexts in which the long Azilal reaches its full effect:

• Long hallway or gallery: The elongated 340 cm length is ideal as a hallway runner, where the abstract geometric motifs welcome visitors with quiet craft confidence.
• Sofa rug in a generous living room: The format anchors a long sofa group particularly well, with the bright field lifting neutral, natural-toned interiors.
• Bedroom anchor lengthwise: Placed lengthwise alongside a queen bed, the long Azilal becomes a soft tactile foundation with a distinctive narrative pattern.

Specifications

Responsible Sourcing

Djoharian is a Label STEP certified dealer for fair-trade knotted rugs – a commitment to dignified working conditions and against child labour in rug production. Visit the Label STEP entry for Djoharian Teppiche →

Djoharian – Your Specialists for Fine Hand-Knotted Rugs

With roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran and more than five decades of experience in the international rug trade, Djoharian has specialised in antique, designer and collector rugs since 1967.

Service and Delivery

Every piece in the Djoharian Collection is expertly inspected in our atelier in Lohr am Main, professionally washed and shipped with a certificate of authenticity. We offer secure and fast worldwide shipping, fully insured, and personal consultation in our showroom or by video call.

Djoharian – Antique and Bespoke Oriental Rugs since 1967.