Carpet for Attribution: 2

Dear Mr. Hunt,

Thank you for your informative essay.



Perhaps you, and the other turkotekers out there, might suggest an attribution for this carpet.

Richard Farber

thanks to Itzhak Mordekhai for the digital imaging.

Haouz

Bonsoir Richard

I have found a picture in the catalog of the belgian expo on Morocco (Splendeurs du Maroc, see "bibliography post") that is near of your rug.
The rug depicted in the book is attributed to the Oulad Chinname or Oulad Bousbaa tribe. The location is the Marrakech plain, named "haouz of Marrakech".



As you can see in the picture the design of the medalion is similar and the black sawedge selvedges are the same.

Avec mes meilleures salutations

Louis Dubreuil

Arabs

Richard,Louis and All- This a good example of how easily this whole question of attributing Moroccan rugs can so easily become convoluted. A Google search will yield numerous references to the
Oulad Bou Sbaa, and what we find is that these people are a distinct Arab peoples with large population centers in other countries of North Africa.
Some examples of weavings made by these Oulad people more closely resemble those of surrealistic rivers and strange triangles rather than these two rugs pictured here,which seem to share much with the high Atlas-hence we have Arabs of the plains making rugs with High Atlas style motives. And to add to the confusion, these people have lived in close proximity for centuries, and one of the reasons they seem so inextricable is because- they are related by marrige. Where does one end and the other begin?

My wife's home,"El Kelaa Des Sragnas or "Citadel of the Sragnas" is on the plains of Marrakech near the High Atlas, and numerous streets are named Oulad or Bou Sbaa and such. If I enquire of her
as to the meaning of these words, her usual answer is- she never heard of them. The problem is with pronounciation- she doesn't understand the words because I am not saying them right, and rightly says she never heard of them. This is from
my wife, imagine a near or complete stranger in the field- Dave

Oulad Bou Sbaa?

All- A gift from my my in-laws, all flat woven except for the three panels of geometric motives, which are pile woven, and 5'4'x10'8'
- Dave