Rug Margoum Alfatha 120x190 cm

The central medallion

The central medallion symbolises the gestation and the progressive enlargement of the woman's belly when the sides of the diamond or hexagon are multiplied.

The rhombus

The diamond is the Berber carpet pattern par excellence. It appears on almost all Berber carpets in the Maghreb, whether in Tunisia, Algeria or Morocco.

Meaning 1: The diamond is an ancient Berber feminine symbol that represents woman and her beauty. It represents the womb of life, the uterus or the woman's body as a whole.

Meaning 2: The eye or the mirror: what reflects or allows one to see.The representation of the eye is in the Berber culture a way of countering the evil eye. In the same way, the mirror reflects the evil eye against itself.

The weaving comb

Berber carpets are entirely hand woven, without shuttle or spindle. The only accessory used by the craftswomen is the weaving comb which is used to pack the wool of the carpet. It is therefore a strong symbol associated with creativity and fecundity. It is often represented on Tunisian carpets, especially on short carpets such as kilims and margoums.

When the combs have 5 branches, they refer to the hand of Fatma (khomsa), present on many handicrafts. The khomsa is an ancestral symbol of Berber beliefs used as an amulet against the evil eye symbolizing protection, power and strength.

When the weaving combs are doubled, they also refer to the tree of life and its roots symbolising life, knowledge and wealth.