Woolheritage

DAMMA

$330.00 USD

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DAMMA is a hand-knotted Beni Mrirt rug woven in the mountains of M'rirt, where the style takes its name. The pattern is built from a simple checkerboard of contrasting wool, two colors alternating across the field in clean square repeats. A graphic design that finds its quiet through the softness of the pile.

Each DAMMA is woven by Khadija and the women of M'rirt over several weeks, knot by knot, on a traditional vertical loom. The wool is hand-spun from sheep raised in the surrounding hills, dyed with plant-based pigments, and finished with hand-plaited cotton fringe on the two short ends.

The squares are counted knot by knot as the rug grows on the loom, which means every Damma is slightly imperfect, slightly off-grid, slightly different from the next. No two rugs are alike. Slight variations in pattern, color, and dimensions are part of the craft.

The name comes from the Arabic word for the game of checkers, played for centuries in the cafés of Morocco. A pattern as old as the game itself, woven into wool.

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Made By

Khadija and the Women of M'rirt

Khadija leads a group of women weavers in M'rirt, a small town in the Middle Atlas mountains where the Beni Mrirt rug takes its name. The collective was founded by her mother and aunts, who learned to weave as girls and have been weaving for over forty years. They specialize in soft hand-knotted Beni Mrirt rugs, made with wool from sheep raised in the surrounding hills and dyed with plants gathered from the valley. Each rug takes between three weeks and three months to weave, depending on size and complexity.

The Details

Hand-Knotted in Morocco

Every Wool Heritage rug is hand-knotted in the Middle Atlas mountains by a small group of Berber women using techniques passed down through generations. Yours is one of one. No two rugs are identical, and slight variations in pattern, color, and dimensions are part of the craft.

Plush Pile

Our rugs are knotted with a soft medium pile that's plush enough to sink your feet into. If you'd prefer a custom pile height for your space, send us a note before we start your rug and we'll work with you on the right depth.

Tassels

Traditional Moroccan rugs are finished with hand-plaited cotton tassels on the two short ends. Each tassel is twisted and knotted by hand, which means lengths and thickness vary slightly across the row. The natural irregularity is the signature of a real handwoven rug, not a flaw.

No Tassels

OUR PROCESS

Made the Slow Way

Each Wool Heritage rug begins with hand-spun wool from the Atlas mountains, dyed with plant-based pigments, and knotted by hand on a traditional loom. Depending on the size, a single rug takes weeks to months to weave. Once finished, it is washed, sun-dried on wooden racks, and brushed by hand. Made the way it has been made for over a hundred years.

MEASURED IN MONTHS

A single rug is woven knot by knot over weeks or months by women who learned the craft from their mothers, who learned it from theirs.