In Morocco, each rug tells the tale of its maker. The maellemas (master craftswomen) who weave the rugs use a language of simple geometric shapes to express the stories of their lives, incorporating everything from fertility and birth to nature and spirituality. Each rug can take up to a year to complete and there is no such thing as pattern or design. Rather each rug is a spontaneous creative expression, revealing the weaver’s life at that moment. The designs recount daily trials and tribulations, as well as inherited ancestral messages passed down over time. Although each rug is unique, every maellema will incorporate mystical symbolism, known as baraka, into her design to ward off evil and offer protection. Read Less