The double-diamond figure is one of the foundational marks in Berber Beni Ourain weaving, drawn as two stacked or interlocking diamonds within the larger lattice that organises the whole field. The motif read in the original tribal context as a protective sign, the diamond doubled to double its force. In a contemporary reading the figure works as a graphic event that breaks the regularity of the diamond grid and gives the eye somewhere to land.

Three weavers worked this 8' x 10' (244 x 305 cm) navy double-diamond in India for around five months. The pile is hand-spun wool, the foundation cotton, the construction the deep-pile knotted weave the Beni Ourain tradition uses. The navy ground was achieved with an indigo dye prepared in extended cold-water vats; the ivory diamonds are undyed New Zealand wool worked into the field. After weaving the long pile was combed by hand.

The composition

A deep navy field carries an irregular diamond grid in undyed ivory, with double-diamond figures sitting at intervals along the main grid lines. The diamonds are not perfect; the weavers drew them by feel against the navy ground, and the variation in their geometry is the principal mark of authenticity. The navy will deepen over the first decade as the indigo settles, the way a good denim does, and the ivory will warm into bone.

What you are buying

Vintage Beni Ourain double-diamond pieces sell at $6,000 to $15,000 at North American design dealers. This is a contemporary weaving in the same tradition, on a vertical loom, in the same fibre, with the same long pile. A hand-knotted thick-pile rug appreciates with use as the wool relaxes; the navy gains depth rather than fading.

The piece in a room

8' x 10' (244 x 305 cm) anchors a drawing room or a primary bedroom. The navy palette pairs with cream or ivory plaster walls, with limewashed white, with leather upholstery in cognac or oxblood, with brushed brass lamps. The thick pile holds the imprint of a foot; place the rug where bare-feet contact is part of the room's daily life.

Conservation

Vacuum weekly with the beater bar disengaged; long pile resents aggressive mechanical action. Comb the pile occasionally to keep it open and full. Blot spills immediately with a clean cotton cloth. Hand-wash by a wool conservator every five to seven years. The navy ground holds its indigo depth for decades with this routine.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted hand-spun wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 244 x 305 cm (8' x 10')
• Construction: Beni Ourain tradition, thick pile, double-diamond
• Hands: 3 weavers, ~5 months
• Pile: long, hand-spun wool
• Dye: indigo on the navy ground
• Origin: India

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