- Berber carpet
Berber carpets are a style of
carpet containing big and small tufts. They use acut pile construction type, and usually contain small flecks of dark color on lighter shade background colors.Name Meaning
The term "berber" stands for any type of carpeting with more than two colors. Berber can be loop, cutpile, frieze, and others.
History
The origin of Berber carpets date back to the
Paleolithic era and were made by Berbers inNorth Africa . The hand spun cloth they created was named for the tribe, and they used natural fibers to create cloaks, rugs, and other fabrics. [ [http://www.berber-arts.com/berber/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=60/ Moroccan (Berber) carpets] article on the history of Moroccan Berber carpets, by Gebhart Blazek. This text has originallly been published as a catalogue contribution to the exhibition "Moroccan Charm - Art of the Berber Tribes, The G. Blazek Collection of Carpets and Textiles and the I. Grammet Collection of Jewellery", held from July 2005 until April 2006 at the L. A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art , Jerusalem, Israel.] [ [http://www.berber-arts.com/berber/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=61/ WHITE GIANTS. Beni Ouarain] article on cream ground Moroccan Berber carpets from the region of the Beni Ouarain in the northern Middle Atlas mountains, by Gebhart Blazek.]Modern berber carpet
Today there are several types of berber carpet made from a range of materials.
Nylon ,olefin , andwool are the most common materials, and the size of loops and cut pile varies for each manufacturer. Olefin is the most commonly used and most affordable material, and carpets with blends of the different materials are also available. [http://homeimprovement.lovetoknow.com/Berber_Carpeting Berber Carpeting at LoveToKnow Home Improvement]Berber carpet is highly durable and often found in offices, schools, and other high traffic areas. It is stain resistant as well, and is more affordable than thicker plush carpets. The downside is that it can be difficult to clean if dirt does get lodged in the fibers, and it may need dry cleaning or specialized service for deep cleaning. [Ibid.]
In popular culture
Frasier Crane owns a prized berber carpet in his apartment in the sitcom "Frasier ".Carl of
Aqua Teen Hunger Force is given a sample of berber carpet to eat by his father in a flashback induced by the Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future.References
Bibliography
* Barbatti, Bruno; "Tapis Berbères du Maroc, la Symbolique - Origines et significations"; ISBN 2-86770-180-5
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