WELCOME!

This is Marrakesh Express, your on-line Moroccan rug and pillow gallery and shop. I'm Susan Schaefer Davis, an anthropologist, and I've worked and lived in Morocco off and on for the last 29 years. My academic interest is women and gender, and the aesthetic counterpart is Moroccan textiles. Over the years I've bought beautiful things for myself, family and friends, and now I'm ready to share with you - you can learn by browsing, and also buy at bargain prices ranging from $35 to $500 for unique handmade items.

One advantage of this medium is that you can see the weavings; I've found one disadvantage is that graphic images sometimes load slowly. If that's a concern of yours, please see the last paragraph below before you click on the following image. Item 26 (30K, 123K) is a good example of one type of Moroccan weaving you'll see; if you have a color monitor, you're in for a real treat.

Having taught anthropology, I'm eager to educate people about these gorgeous, colorful weavings. With that in mind, I've divided Marrakesh Express into two sections, a Gallery with a variety and description of different styles, and a Shop with the pieces currently for sale. Please see the brief overview below, and then go ahead to either or both.

Introduction to Moroccan Weaving

All the pieces you will see are one-of-a-kind, handwoven (and a few embroidered) by traditional Moroccan women and girls, usually for their own use. Morocco is on the northwest corner of Africa, populated by Berbers and Arabs, and about the size of California. For its size, there are a large number of weaving styles. Rabat rugs are seen most in the U.S.: they have a central medallion and deep pile, and often contain much red and blue.

This collection focuses on the lesser-known and more varied flatweaves (often called kilims) from the Middle Atlas mountains, with a few Glawa pieces from the High Atlas south of Marrakesh. Nearly all are in wool, with white designs (usually in cotton) for contrast. Floor pieces range from about 3x5 to 5x8, though some are larger. The rectangular shape fits Moroccan rooms, in which many have already been used; I find the colors in used pieces are often subtler and richer than in new ones. Their irregularity is another of their charms. Unlike mass-produced items, you nearly always find something new as you look. These images are of pieces which have been in my collection, or those of friends. A few are still available for sale, and if you'd like to order certain styles, I'll do some custom shopping on my next trip.

Before you start browsing, a technical note. The speed with which the images load depends on your machine, your hookup or modem, and Internet traffic, among other things, so I can't give you exact times. All images are available in a smaller size (GIF) about 1/5 the screen, and in a full screen version (JPEG). The GIF files range from 11K to 60K and the JPEG files from 14K to 203K. For your convenience, I'll put the sizes next to each image icon. Now, for a quick, illustrated education on Moroccan textiles, click Gallery. To see the pieces for sale, click Shop