Rug with Neolithic Motifs

00853
Period
Circa 1940
Origin
Steppe north of Marrakech, Morocco
Tribe
Rehamna
Materials
Wool
Status
Available
Size
330 x 158 cm
10'9" x 5'2"

Rug with Neolithic Motifs

Rug with Neolithic Motifs

In the 16th century, a huge fish-rich lake covered the plains north of Marrakech. Nearby, dense trees covered the Rehamna massif, earning it the name “Green Mountain.” This area attracted both Arab (El Araba) and Saharan (El Rherraba) groups. Rehamna tribal rugs fall into two main types: qtifa, with monochromatic red fields, and zarbiya, often featuring abstract, ancient designs.

Rehamna weavers use a system of ideograms rooted in Neolithic cave paintings. Paul Vandenbroek termed this the ‘spontaneous style’ (Vandenbroek 2000). It produces forms that appear and dissipate like electric discharges, stemming from the weavers’ unconscious and their Neolithic heritage.

The presence of such archaic motifs on a 20th-century rug reflects the close link between weaving and Neolithic art. It also demonstrates the slow evolution of certain civilizations.

 

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