Rug Margoum Flouki 206x308 cm

Blue

Blue is the colour of wisdom and the path of dreams in the Berber tradition. It is also the colour of water, the universal source of life.

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 zigzag

The zigzag is one of the most present Berber signs on Tunisian and Moroccan carpets.

Meaning 1: Male symbol of fertility and fecundity.

Meaning 2: Image of water, symbol of life and matrix of existence. Image of the waves of the generating sea or of the lightning bringing rain.

Meaning 3: Image of the serpent that represents the lunar seasons and represents by its moult the renewal of life and the resurrection of nature, the cycle of seasons full of promise. The snake also represents the union of the opposites male and female, sky and earth, night and day...

The 5-branch double comb

Berber carpets are woven entirely by hand 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 woven carpets such as kilims and margoums.

On this carpet, the combs have 5 branches. They refer to the hand of Fatma (khomsa) and its five fingers, present on many tunisian handicrafts. The khomsa is an ancestral symbol of Berber beliefs used as an amulet against the evil eye symbolizing protection, power and strength.

The weaving combs of this carpet are also doubled, which refers to the tree of life and its roots symbolising life, knowledge and wealth.

The butterfly

The butterfly symbolises feminine beauty, resurrection and metamorphosis. It is also associated with the development of the foetus in the womb.

The waves

Male symbol referring to sensory movement and fertility. Associated with the rhombus, it signifies the coupling of man and woman.

The fibula

The fibula occupies an important place in the history of Berber culture. It is traditionally used to hang the clothes of Berber women and then derived in the form of jewellery and other accessories. Traditionally, the way it is worn indicates the social and marital status of the woman.

Symbolically, the Berber fibula represents the association of the feminine (triangle) and the masculine (needle) invoking procreation and fertility.