Ait Bou Sbaa Tribe
Ait Bou Sbaa rug ("sbaa" means lion in Arabic) is a nomadic tribe that lives in Morocco, Mauritania, and Western Sahara. Ait Bou Sbaa's rug is noted for its style and use of wool, sometimes goat hair, as well as a variety of red color tones ranging from dark pink to carmine or burgundy red. This nomadic tribe conducts business from Senegal to Marrakech. This tribe's carpets frequently have a primary design woven just off-center. Their traditional past was significant in the landscape of the Mauritanian tribes, and their gorgeous, one-of-a-kind rugs helped spread the word about their unique handmade rugs. |
| The textile fiber made with wool sheep roots from Ait Bou Sbaa symbolizes a high-quality wool rug that depicts nomad life. In Berber tradition, blue denotes wisdom, yellow eternity, and red power and protection. Aside from color symbolism, the pattern of the Ait Bou Sbaa rug has its own story. The shapes around them carry old sacred symbolism, and it is this combination of base colors, magical symbolism, and function that gives Ait Bou Sbaa rugs their distinct appeal. |
''Think of it as an adventure into a land of desert warriors and distant caravans, majestic mountain peaks and ranges, fertile plains and vast stretches of the Sahara, exotic walled cities and Berber fortess towns, of a strong but friendly people and, best of all, of a world filled with the fresh and living colors of their rugs and art." |
According to history, the tribe's inhabitants living in the Atlas Mountains required some furnishings to keep them warm during the cold months. Because pasturing was their only source of income, they utilized sheep wool to weave into a yarn that ultimately resulted in rugs. These handwoven rugs feature a variety of symbols, including the lozenge, lozenge with extended edges, chevron, X-shape, straight line with hatching, triangles, ladders, and zigzag. Each symbol has a purpose; for example, the lozenge, X-shape, and chevron represent women, whereas the straight lines, sticks, and twig-and-ladder represent men.
| Many others carry themes such as birth, protection against the evil eye, good fortune (Baraka), fertility, and resilience. All the symbols have their own meaning and were conveyed from weaver to weaver over centuries. This is the reason why it still retains its authenticity. The sheep wool is known for its resistant structure by producing resilient fibers that retain their shape after stretching or washing. This material has many advantages: it provides warmth, brings softness to your interior, absorbs moisture, and is very resistant to time. With all these features, Moroccan rugs are known to be very durable. Berber women, who are the maneuvering leaders of the Moroccan carpet, spend weeks and sometimes months creating a carpet. This time is justified by other household and family tasks. |