Carpet
Not on view
In contrast to carpets produced in the rural villages of Morocco, this large and brightly colored work is a fine and representative example of carpets produced in the urban center of Rabat. Production of these "urban" carpets is said to have been initiated in the eighteenth century in response to local demand for Ottoman carpets from Turkey. Although working from Ottoman models, the weavers of the Rabat carpets adapted and expanded these designs for local tastes and needs. The elongated format of these carpets, for example, was better suited for the typically long, narrow living spaces of local Moroccan architecture. The distinctive color palette, bold patterns, and somewhat loosely knotted pile of these carpets lend them their unique and characteristic appearance.
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