Women Weavers OnLine
N'kob
This is Rqia Akhrass, a dignified older woman in N'kob. Her family said she made the four rugs below in the sixties, and they have kept them in good condition until now. Notice the difference in colors and design from most of the N'kob rugs you've seen. These are mainly red and orange, and the designs appear to be more overall than the three-panel style. In fact, three of the rugs below have three sections, but they are much less marked than in most of today's rugs. Rqia lives with her aging and blind husband and her three sons' families, all in one home. She also has three daughters, but they too are grown up and have married and left. The pretty Khadija Id Yassine above is one of her daughters-in-law, and the village maqqadam or local official is her son. You will notice these prices are much higher than other pieces. One reason for this is that they are older and in excellent condition: you rarely see items like this for sale any more. Again, the men set the prices and I did not discuss them.
Piece 3.13570 is a large, older pile rug in mainly a rich red and not-too-bright orange, with white accents. Some designs are outlined in navy blue, and there is a bit of a soft yellow-green, seen best in this detail. The size is about 5'2" x 10'4" (157 x 314 cm) and the price is $4470.
Piece 3.13572 is a long older pile rug with an orange ground and red-orange and white designs. Notice how they are in diagonal rows of the same color, almost forming a V under the center panel. And notice how they appear to be peeking out from behind that panel. In the close-up you can see how well the red and orange harmonize. You can also see there how some designs are outlined in navy blue or a soft olive green. The wool also has some sheen to it, found in some older rugs. This piece measures about 5'4" x 12' (162 x 365 cm) and costs $5100.
Piece 3.13575 is a long pile runner in orange, with designs in a rich warm red and white. The line down the center is from being folded. The 'diamonds' are sometimes outlined in an indigo tone of blue [I asked and the dye is not natural indigo], and there are also accents in a soft sage. You can see both in this detail. The wool also has some sheen to it. There is a small hole at one end, and a tear that goes into the knotted area at the other end, and it is a bit gathered at one end. None is a serious flaw for an older piece like this, but I want my customers to be aware of potential problems. The size is about 3'8" x 14' (112 x 426 cm) and the price is $4450.
Piece
3.13577 has the clearest example of three central panels in this group of rugs,
but they are still very integrated and all incorporate the same design with
color variations. This square star design is found in older rugs, and in fact
I was suprised to see it in the machine-made sweater
of one of the other N'kob weavers, Anaya Bou Said Ali. The basic color here
is a soft orange, and the design is mainly in white and a rosy red. There is
navy blue in the border at one end, while it is a soft gray-blue at the other;
you can see it and the soft sage in this close-up.
You can also see there pile designs in flatweave panels near the ends, a combination
that I thought did not happen until the 1980s, while this rug was made in the
1960s. This piece measures about 4'10" x 11'3" (147 x 342 cm) and
costs $3845.
