What is the difference between a rug and a mat?

A rug is a robust, thick floor covering used to protect the floor or for decorative purposes. A mat is typically small and while it's also placed on the floor, it's mainly used for wiping feet. Common materials used for creating rugs are wool, silk, cotton and synthetics. Shop a collection of vintage and designer rugs and mats from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.

What is the difference between a bath mat and a bath rug?

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African Rug Mat

Mauritanian Mat

Tuareg Reed Mats

Burkina Faso

6 Or 7 Foot Africa Sculpture

Hand Woven Mat

Tribal Tuareg Rug

$4,640Sale Price|20% Off

Mid-20th Century Tuareg Mat from Silk Road Rug Inc Collection

By Nomade Atelier

Located in Los Angeles, CA

African Tuareg Mats Did You Know That Tuareg Mats Are Not From Morocco?

Category

Mid-20th Century Sub-Saharan African Tribal Moroccan and North African Rugs

Materials

Leather, Reed

Recent Sales

Tuareg Vintage Mat, Rug From Mautania, Saharan African Mat

Unavailable

W 74.81 in L 114.18 in

Tuareg Vintage Mat, Rug From Mautania, Saharan African Mat

By leslosanges

Located in Biarritz, FR

Tuareg culture creates an impressive world of beautiful, functional, and abstract objects. The dominant materials are leather, wood, fibers and metal, which are transformed into clot...

Category

Vintage 1970s Mauritanian Art Deco Moroccan and North African Rugs

Materials

Reed

Vintage Berber Tuareg Mat Rug

Unavailable

Unavailable

W 84 in L 106 in

Midcentury Tuareg Mat 7' x 8'10"

By Berber Tribes of Morocco

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Midcentury Tuareg mat handwoven with palm reed and leather in a complex tribal design with Berber symbols. Each mat is one-of-a-kind and tells a unique story from the artisan. The de...

Category

Vintage 1970s Mauritanian Mid-Century Modern Moroccan and North African ...

Materials

Reed

Midcentury Tuareg Mat 6'7 x 10'4

Unavailable

W 79 in L 124 in

Midcentury Tuareg Mat 6'7 x 10'4

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Midcentury Tuareg mat handwoven with palm reed and leather in a complex tribal design with Berber symbols. Each mat is one-of-a-kind and tells a unique story from the artisan. The de...

Category

Vintage 1970s Mauritanian Tribal Moroccan and North African Rugs

Materials

Reed

W 108 in L 141 in

21st Century African Tuareg Inspired East Turkestan Khotan Room Size Carpet

Located in New York, NY

A modern East Turkestan Khotan room size carpet handmade during the 21st century. Measures: 9' 0" x 11' 9"

Category

21st Century and Contemporary East Turkestani Khotan Chinese and East As...

Materials

Wool

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Located in Puglia, Puglia

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Category

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African Rug Mat For Sale on 1stDibs

Find many varieties of an authentic African rug mat available at 1stDibs. An African rug mat — often made from natural fiber, reed and animal skin — can elevate any home. Find 95 options for an antique or vintage African rug mat now, or shop our selection of 1 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished piece. Your living room may not be complete without an African rug mat — find older editions for sale from the 19th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. When you’re browsing for the right African rug mat, those designed in Mid-Century Modern and Modern styles are of considerable interest. You’ll likely find more than one African rug mat that is appealing in its simplicity, but Mehraban Rugs produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is an African Rug Mat?

Prices for an African rug mat can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $299 and can go as high as $68,000, while the average can fetch as much as $22,000.

Finding the Right Moroccan-rugs for You

Antique and vintage Moroccan rugs serve as an exceptional piece of decor. Whether it’s to tie your bedroom together or to add a dazzling array of colors and graphically provocative shapes and other elements to your living room wall, there’s increased demand for all types of Moroccan tribal rugs, especially as bohemian, global and eco styles are on the rise and because tapestries and wall hangings are definitely cool again.

Travelers and interior design lovers from all over the world are big fans of the complex geometric patterns and bold color palettes that we typically associate with rustic, natural Moroccan and North African rugs.

In the West, the current infatuation with handwoven vintage Moroccan tribal rugs stretches to the mid-20th century. Then, designers such as Alvar Aalto, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier offset austere interiors with vibrant and alluring mid-century modern Moroccan rugs. (Le Corbusier integrated these rugs in his designs for Villa La Roche in Paris, while Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Pennsylvania is also home to distinctive Moroccan floor coverings.)

Moroccan rugs date back to the Paleolithic era, when Berber tribes, which comprised many different members of an ethnic group native to North Africa, would weave these textiles with intricate images and symbols. Traditionally, Moroccan tribal weavings were made exclusively by women and solely for personal use. Dense pile rugs served not only as floor coverings but as mattresses, seating and even blankets in the winter months.

The Moroccan rug hasn’t survived this long merely because of its usefulness. These stunning works take at least two to three weeks to weave, and each woman weaves the story of her life into the design. They are filled with symbolism and vary greatly depending on the locale where they were woven. In this way, part of the profound beauty of traditional Moroccan rugs lies in their historical and cultural significance.

One of the most widely loved styles of Moroccan rugs comes from the Beni Ourain tribes, a network of nearly two dozen individual tribes in the mountainous Middle Atlas region.

Vintage Beni Ourain rugs are woven from undyed, natural wool. The textures, imperfections and asymmetrical lines, which can’t be reproduced with mass production methods, as well as the neutral tones and understated geometry have endeared interior designers to these works for ages. In comparison to the spare Beni Ourain rugs, a more heavily decorated, widely colorful option can be found in Azilal Moroccan rugs, which contrast wonderfully with the rich, dark wood tones and clean lines that characterize mid-century modern furniture.

The collection of antique and vintage rugs and carpets on 1stDibs features a wide range of extraordinary Moroccan and North African rugs including Beni Ourain rugs, Azilal rugs, kilims and more.

Questions About African Rug Mat

What is the difference between a rug and a mat?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021
A rug is a robust, thick floor covering used to protect the floor or for decorative purposes. A mat is typically small and while it's also placed on the floor, it's mainly used for wiping feet. Common materials used for creating rugs are wool, silk, cotton and synthetics. Shop a collection of vintage and designer rugs and mats from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.
What is the difference between a bath mat and a bath rug?
1 Answer
NazmiyalMarch 23, 2021
That is just the word that people prefer to use. Many people call small size area rugs "mats"

This Graphic Donegal Rug Is a Remarkable Example of the British Arts and Crafts Aesthetic

In the late 1890s, the firm of Alexander Morton & Co. set out to introduce a new category of crafts to the British Isles: hand-knotted rugs.

Hechizoo’s Original Sin Rug Tempts with Shimmering Copper, Tin and Bronze

Embroidered with snakes, turtles, birds and vines, it celebrates a dazzling natural world before the arrival of Adam and Eve.

Splashy Blooms Bud and Wilt in Artist Santi Moix’s Floral Rug

The colorful design captures the natural splendor of a backyard garden.

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The rising fashion star is having his first solo show of furniture designs, at Southern Guild in Cape Town, and his far-out, snaking forms are like nothing you've ever seen.

The Artists and Designers behind Today’s Coolest Rug Collaborations

Top carpet companies are expanding the arena of artful floor coverings, seeking out creatives from other media and marrying their talents to textiles.