Cactus Silk Rug

Cactus silk rug

For time immemorial, Berbers have lived off the harsh lands of the Moroccan Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert. The constant life or death struggle has made the Berber people a resourceful and pragmatic people, for whom the humble rug is a living testament of how Berbers can bring beauty and elegance into their harsh lives.

Berber culture is fixed on preparing the next generation to receive the millennia old baton, to continue the never ending cycle of tending to the land, herding the animals and crafting rugs, passing down techniques and traditions down the generations.

The Mountain tribes use the wool from their goats or sheep while the Desert tribes use the hairs of their camels or plant fibres. One common fibre comes from the Aloe Vera plant, belonging to the spikey cactus like (but not actually a cactus) Agavoideae family.

After they are extracted, the fibres are dyed using natural vegetable dyes leaving a beautiful sheen, giving it a silky appearance, hence the name “cactus silk”. The silky feel and lush colours have made this material a popular choice for Arabic royalty and as wedding attire.

The high elasticity of the fibres will make a Cactus Silk rug look fresh and inviting on any floor, but also makes it perfect as a wrinkle-free throw for a sofa or a bed. Cactus silk rugs are unique as one of the few truly organic and vegetarian rugs that respects the environment where they are made, honouring the deep connection the Berber creators feel with the land they live on.