Amazigh — The Berber Name for Themselves

Amazigh (plural: Imazighen) is the name the indigenous peoples of North Africa use for themselves — "Berber" is an exonym imposed from outside. Using the original name acknowledges the cultural identity behind these textiles: not just decorative objects, but products of a specific people with a continuous weaving tradition stretching back over a millennium.

Provenance and Taznakht Tradition

This piece comes from Taznakht in southern Morocco — a small town in the Anti-Atlas mountains that has lent its name to one of the most recognisable Amazigh rug traditions. Taznakht weavings are characterised by their lower pile (here 6–8 mm), tighter knotting, and the bold use of natural and aniline dyes on undyed wool grounds. The region is the same as the smaller Taznakht pieces we offer, in this case in a generous medium format.

This piece was hand-knotted around 1980s–1990s in 100% hand-spun sheep's wool on a wool foundation, and carries the abstract, intuitive composition typical of Amazigh craft.

Design and Palette

A confident composition in the classical southern-Berber colour vocabulary: red ground sections, blue figures, beige ground, orange accents. The geometric language is the unmistakable Amazigh symbolic alphabet — diamonds, X-forms, bands, and small free-hand motifs that women wove into rugs as protective and narrative marks.

Presence in the Room

At 260 × 160 cm (5.3 × 8.5 ft), 4.2 m² this is a versatile medium format. Three contexts in which the vintage Taznakht reaches its full effect:

• Living room seating arrangement: as the central anchor for a sofa group, the lower pile holds up well to chair-leg traffic.
• Open-plan kitchen-dining transition: the tight knotting and saturated palette read as a confident accent in transitional spaces.
• Bedroom or Scandinavian-industrial interior: the warm palette grounds neutral interiors; the geometric Amazigh symbolism pairs beautifully with mid-century furniture and raw materials.

Specifications

Label STEP — Responsible Sourcing

Djoharian is a Label STEP certified dealer for fair-trade knotted rugs. Visit the Label STEP entry for Djoharian Teppiche →

Djoharian — Specialists in Fine Hand-Knotted Rugs

Founded in 1967, with roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran and more than five decades of experience in the international rug trade.

Service and Delivery

Every piece is expertly inspected in our atelier in Lohr am Main, professionally washed and shipped with a certificate of authenticity. Worldwide shipping fully insured.