Divine Tribe was founded in 2020 with the intention of helping the Berber tribes of the Atlas mountains during a period of scarcity. Many had lost their livelihoods derived from Tourism and we created a pathway to bring their town's tribal offerings to the shores of Australia. Today we have added another line of Tribal treasures to its already bespoke line of handmade, vintage and up-cycled Bohemian Homewares and Decor.
Our latest offering stocked at the Two Gypsy’s on High boutique in Wauchope NSW has now become the Mid North Coast's largest collection of Vintage, handmade Moroccan, used and new Kilim, Boujaad, Taznakht, Beni Ourani, Beni M'guild and Beni Mrit rugs.
Staying true to Divine Tribe’s ethos of Living Unique, each Moroccan rug has its own personality being born from the inspiration of the Berber hands that channeled the tribal glyphs and colours, masterfully woven either on traditional looms or hand knotted to create an individual statement of expression for every rug created. Using the skills honed from generations of family taught craftsmanship the methods employed to create the rugs are all natural. Spun from sheep’s wool on traditional wheels these Moroccan rugs are intricately woven together. Even the yarn itself is naturally dyed from plants like saffron, henna and pomegranate to produce a product that doesn’t have a carbon footprint and will be in use for 40 - 100+ years.
Every rug being hand made are irregular in sizes ranging from the smaller Taznakhts starting at 1 meter in length up to the larger area rugs often Boujaad ranging up to 5 meters in length. Not just the larger area rugs, often as seen below are long narrow runners.
Our vintage pieces are a testament to the longevity of these beauties. Their bodies are given the strength to famously endure decades by being imbued from the ultra hardy wool of the resolute sheep of the Atlas mountains who have made their homes in the highest altitudes breeding some of the strongest wool on the African continent.
The following are examples of the types of rugs we carry (full range here);
Taznakht
The namesake for these types of Rugs comes from the town in which they are weaved in, Taznakht in southern Morocco. Renowned for the high quality wool which is locally cultivated it provides a natural luster to the finished product.
Boujaad
Derived from the name of the town of Boujad, the weaving style has been influenced by an Arabic heritage and generally these are low to medium piled rugs. A well known style though there are many variations in the styles, colours, designs, motifs and even weave owing to the diverse artisan culture. Everyone an artistic expression that may or may not appeal to your personality.
A great benefit of the Boujaad is there “two sided” nature. The Berber tribes have designed and crafted the rugs to utilize both sides for summer and winter. During Winter the traditional top side of the rug is used as the higher pile creates warmth, insulation and softness. During summer the rug is flipped over and the traditional underside of the rug is now face up to have a flatter more breathable surface that wont trap heat. Which for you means you get two designs for the price of one which is very often the case with the Vintage variety as the underside typically retains a much stronger colour and the glyphs are much more recognizable.
Kilim
Named from the origins of the style it represents ‘flatweave’ opposed to a specific location. We stock only Kilim Berber rugs hand made in Morocco. Typically the Kilim rugs both new and vintage tend to be lower in cost owing to the reduced amount of time spent making them as the strands are interwoven on a loom instead of being hand knotted. In addition less material is needed in their making as they are low pile or flat and much lighter than the other Moroccan rugs we stock.
Beni Ourain
Hailing from a collection of Berber tribes in the Atlas mountains in Morocco, these High pile rugs are thick, soft and luxurious owing to the use of an old lineage of goats and sheep. These elegant rugs are easily recognizable (but often copied) by there predominant use of creams, whites interspersed with black or brown jagged lines and geometric features.
Beni M’rit
Taking its origin from the M’rirt village, the type of weave and pile is similar to that of the Beni Ourain though different in its region of origin and in the colours and patterns so skillfully used in its creation. A high pile rug it is definitely a visual and textural sensation that is usually the heaviest of all the rugs we carry.
Beni M'guild
The Beni M'guild tribe has traditionally resided in the area referred to as the Central Middle Atlas and ranges from the lower pastoral foothills to the higher forested plateaus all the way up into the Atlas Mountains known for heavy snow cover like the "Hill Stations" of Ifrane known for Holidaying by the French.
As a result the Beni M'guild rugs are known for a thicker pile due to the colder climate especially when they are weaved for sleeping upon. Medium density piles are utilized for floor coverings and more colour are typically applied to the wall hangings. Colour can also be utilized to identify the region as the rarer green type rugs are known to come from those tribes close to forested region which in present day and even the close past have become nearly non existant.
We look forward to showing you our Bohemian and contemporary rug collection the next time you are on the Mid North Coast. If you don't have the time check out our website as we offer free shipping and if you can't find what you need we can source a particular, size, style or colour to suit your needs.
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