The vibrant Alaouite Kingdom of Morocco is a country whose rich unique culture, diversity and tradition are joyously captured in the essence of its wealth of traditional arts and ancient crafts. Bounded by an ocean, a sea and a desert, split by mountain ranges, super highways, caravan trails, steppe-like plateaus, coastal plains and the Sahara, the dramatically-contrasting landscape mirrors an ethnic cultural mix of tribal Berbers, Arabs and Africans intermingling with Muslim, Jewish and Christian influences, all reflected in the beautiful and practical objects of extraordinary workmanship in bright and bold patterns created by a proud people, from stunning pottery and ceramics and wonderful mosaics to textiles and carpets, jewellery and leather goods, fine wood carving and impressive jewellery in an extensive repertoire of designs fusing those indigenous Berber traditions with subsequent Arab, Jewish, Andalusian and other European influences, combining delightful ‘gabss’ friezes in Arabic calligraphy that celebrate verses from the Q’uran, graceful flower patterns and abstract geometry with sharply stylised birds, animals, zigzags, triangles and squares and icons of ancient Berber origin. These all result from traditional skills handed down with passion over countless generations whereby technique, at the core of Moroccan crafts, is passed on through a master ‘maalem’ who, over years, instructs their apprenticed family and determines their skills in combining quality with intricate decorative work in rich designs of flowing lines with precision draughtsmanship and craftsmanship.

The major characteristic of Morocco’s crafted pieces of art is that that they are made by hand, using traditional machines and tools, thus making each object unique and truly authentic. Three major crafts decorate and furnish Moroccan buildings: woodwork, chiselled plaster lattice work known locally as gabss (stucco) - one of the most difficult to master where the craftsman has to work fast, first spreading a thick layer of wet plaster and then shaping and incising many levels of relief in stages before it dries - and then there is the wonderful ceramic mosaic tile work called zellij. All are to be seen at their best in the decoration of the Medersas (Koranic schools) built between the 12th an 16th centuries of Fes, Meknes and Marrakech and in the surviving palaces and renovated houses converted into riads of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Some say that Jewish artisans came to Morocco as early as 950 B.C during the reign of King Salomon; possibly as his artisan emissaries and probably to escape his oppressive rule. One way or another, Moroccan Jews believe that they laid the foundation to arts and crafts in Morocco since time immemorial and before the imageduction of Islam into Morocco in the 8th century A.D., when tribal artisans were producing wares not limited by the consequent prohibition of figural imagery in religious art, especially that of humans and animals. Such figures were not, however, forbidden in the home, when figurative images adorned items such as carpets and in other textiles and jewellery that tend to be made of silver for men and gold for women, giving to Morocco’s arts and crafts that something very special which might never have been appreciated without it - the motif - whose designs perpetually weave and interlace resulting in a glorious mix of geometrical genius with tribal history.

A profound sense of aesthetics is ever-present in the structural and landscape architecture of urban centres such as Fes to remote hamlets hidden away high on the Atlas Mountains and further south deep in the Saharan regions to resurface, additionally to all mentioned before, in stained-glass, illuminations of poetry and religious books as well as documents such as marriage contracts, tents, carpets, curtains, bed covers, clothing and musical instruments. This sense was and remains so pervasive in Morocco that it captivated modern art pioneers such as Delacroix, that romantic painter who inspired by both classical and Medieval art, to open the floodgate to Impressionism by imageducing into European art the vivid colours of the Maghreb when, in 1832, he stopped in Tangier and Meknes. Here, moved by Berber, Jewish and Arab beauty, he produced masterpieces depicting the essence of Moroccan esthetics, including observations of daily life, of the interiors of Jewish homes and portraits of Jewish women, which appeared in his eyes beautiful and charming and their costumes dignified and graceful. Following Delacroix, Henri Matisse came to Morocco in 1906 to study the culture and where he was inspired by the bright colours of the sun to become fascinated with the traditions, art and intense colours. He also spent the winters of 1912 and 1913 in Morocco perfecting his colour scheme under Mediterranean sun. Many other artists followed went on pilgrimages to Morocco, most searching for artistic redemption in the exotic, the colourful and the sensuous. It also was to inspire abstract contemporary art in the work of the architect and painter Le Corbusier and the abstract Expressionist painter Wassily Kadinski, who evidently borrowed from Berber geometrical forms, colours and symmetry.

Handicrafts Embroidery and Weaving -At the heart of Morocco's vibrant handicraft culture is the essentially feminine art form of embroidery on silk, cotton and linen earning a well-deserved reputation for decorative textiles since the time of the Roman conquest of North Africa. The more refined art of weaving appeared in Morocco in 14th century A.D., when, from that time on, textiles from an extensive range of materials of sheep or goats’ wool and imported silk could be said to become the flagship of Moroccan art and craft, from the elementary to the most sophisticated decorative objects, bearing witness to the sophisticated taste of a bygone society. By the 16th century, Fes became Morocco's principal centre for the weaving of fine wool and silk for both domestic and export markets. Since these times, the city's professional craftswomen have embroidered silk velvet with gold and silver thread using a flat couched stitch to work elaborate flower and foliage designs for luxurious house furnishings, wedding garments and horse trappings. While some samples of incredible Moroccan hand embroidery date back to early in the 18th century, Moroccan women started this time-consuming occupation long before when Moroccan women decorated their hands and feet with henna for special occasions. These intricate, meaningful patterns were later to be transferred onto pottery and then into embroidery, using naturally dyed silk, most commonly deep red, indigo blue and black, sometimes purple, shades of brown, yellow, and green, to be embroidered monochrome onto white cotton. In the late 19th century, when the tradition was still strong, some two thousand women or more were teaching embroidery in Fes alone. Once married, they continued to embroider at home or, in some cases, in harems, where women from other countries would certainly influence the women with their style and technique whilst they exchanged ideas, love stories, dreams and technical expertise to be translated into silken fantasies on fine fabrics. During the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, they began using chemical colours for the silk thread.

One may also marvel at the woven and embroidered fabrics of the Berbers. Today, the hardy women of these tribes produce some of the most stunning and impressive articles on the African continent when their rhythmic variations of motifs, the shimmering of impressive colours and variety of texture make them unique as they continue with their hand-loomed weaving of wool blankets, rugs, cloaks, storage bags, pillow and cushion covers using natural black, brown and white yarn.

Embroidery played an important social and economic role in northern Morocco where each city, town and village developed its own distinct and varied style. Cities such as Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Meknes, Rabat, Salé, Azemmour and Fes are all known for their unique embroidery styles, techniques, colours and fabric with Fes embroidery being perhaps the most celebrated - easy to identify from its highly graphic and geometric design; a triangle representing the eye, but may also symbolise the female sex should there be other triangles in each corner and/or the hand of Fatima (the Hamsa) included in the embroidery for protection against evil eye.

Wealthy families exhibited their status through the use of exotic fabrics, elaborate decoration and abundant jewellery where the children were taught to embroider at a young age, sometimes in special workshops when those well-to-do families would buy cotton fabric from Egypt, silk from the Orient and special looms, so their daughters could practice at home the skills and art they learned from their teacher, or maalma, who would keep all the original work as her commission for this free training. Over the years, the women would accumulate many personalised patterned pieces to be displayed or worn at special occasions - gandoras, djellabas, caftans, shawls, belts, handkerchiefs and headscarves, or to decorate interior spaces through squared and rectangular bed spreads, cushion covers, tablecloths, tray cloths, curtains and mats, each demonstrating their absolute originality through the freedom with which the motifs are arranged, the variety, visual intricacy and elegance of the time-consuming compositions and their exquisite colour sense of a cultural art passed on to following generations. Clients would come to order new embroideries, or have their old ones restored.

A Moroccan girl's dowry of embroidered curtains, bed covers, tablecloths and many other intricate pieces which had easily take a generation to make and to be displayed at the wedding were to reconfirm the visible wealth of the family, whilst other less well-to-do parents might rent out particularly magnificent pieces for this purpose. Before the wedding, a Moroccan bride would be accompanied by womenfolk to the steam bath, the hammam, wearing clothes embroidered on the sleeves, the belt, the veil and even on the under garments. There were also pieces especially embroidered for the henna ceremony. Traditional dress is important in these marriage rituals, where the bride is robed in layers of garments and wraps of brocaded silk and gold-embroidered velvet, adorned with a gold crown strung with pearls, beads or amber necklaces. The bloodied wedding sheet, made of crêpe de chine embroidered on the ends, would later be shown to everyone at the party, to prove the virginity of the bride. A Moroccan newborn baby often receives a beautiful embroidered pillowcase and sheets and the continuing importance of embroidery in Moroccan life can also be seen in the traditional ceremony held for infant girls at the age of four months, when the baby is placed in a chair and given a needle and thimble along with some silk thread to hold, in anticipation of a life blessed with the needle's art.

Moroccan dress requires the crafts of textiles, jewellery and leather. While European dress is increasingly worn in the cities, it is quite normal to see contemporary versions of traditional clothing worn by men and women, purchased ready-made in the local souq or commissioned from a tailor. Two major trends emerge - the urban costume and the rural costume. Women may wear
the ha’iq, a sort of ample cape made out of a light and white fabric covering the body from head to toe, seen mostly in rural areas. Under this is worn the q’miss, something similar to a long light camisole or baggy trousers. The Caftan, of Persian origin, imageduced into Morocco in the 16th century and the Mansouria are two long, wide, collarless dresses for women, usually of thin fabric or silk, closed in the front. The mansouria is generally worn in the home as a kind of simple house coat or under the caftan, the latter often with many embroidered buttons whereby the caftan highlights femininity in shimmering colours, plain or with gold and silver embroideries, and decorated contours and extremities. A wide, plain belt, or one embroidered with silk thread and gold, gathers in and tightens the waist. Hardy mountain and desert womenfolk wear lengths of cloth as cloaks, woven with geometric motifs, fastened with silver pins and brooches (fibula), topped by elaborately folded headdresses.

Men wear the Silham or Burnous, a large cloak, plain coloured, brown, black or rarely white, usually a mixture of rough wool and camel hair, over a Djellaba with a hood. The djellaba is an ample, ankle-length, loose robe with long straight sleeves and a pointed hood in fabrics ranging from fine wool, light-weight cotton, silk, and blends of synthetic fibres to rough, homespun yarn. The opening for the head is large and starts around the upper chest. The Gandoura, usually white, is a voluminous flowing garment resembling somewhat a short, sleeveless and collarless nightshirt, made of lightweight cotton or woollen cloth. In the Saharan regions, in cold weather, the menfolk would first put on a white gandoura, followed by a blue one and then a woollen outer garment. The sleeves could be rolled up or gathered and put over the shoulder.
A Tarbouch or ‘Fez’ is used as a rimless, red felt, tasselled head cover mainly worn by the male city dweller, named after the Imperial city of Fes which has become a national symbol of Morocco, whilst the Rozza is a turban worn mostly in the mountainous rural or desert areas, whilst the crimson felt brimless cap - the Taghia - decorated with silver embroidery may be seen worn by Gnaoua musicians. Both men and women wear silken embroidered Belghas or leather Babouches (Oriental slippers), though heavy sandals and boots will be worn in the mountainous regions.

Because of the rarity of older patterns and difficulty in conserving textiles in extensive hot, sometimes very humid temperatures, Moroccan embroidery remains largely undiscovered outside of the kingdom; furthermore, unfortunately, relatively few Moroccan women today practice the art of hand embroidery, with many items now machine embroidered. It is such a pity that this beautiful tradition is slowly being lost and we should treasure and encourage what remains.

Ceramics Pottery is one of the first handcrafted activities of humanity; a utilitarian art and craft born of necessity more than 3500 years ago to become an outstanding and subtle art form. When Fes potters, who had been trained by masters coming from Al-Andalusia (Spain & Portugal) in the 9th century, refined their technique to create an elaborate sense of ornamentation combining the Berber heritage with the Hispano-Mauresque influence, they were to elevate the tradition to the rank of rarely-equalled artistry. Two main categories can be differentiated: Town pottery with sumptuous objects made in Fes, Safi and Salé for the main part; Utilitarian pottery of the north widely made by women and southern country pottery made by men. Two main types of ceramics are produced: unglazed pottery, originally for domestic and utilitarian use such as the ubiquitous tagine and painted and glazed decorative ceramics, which were used as bowls and plates and loose cut tiles. Moroccan pottery is also tied to its people’s belief of magic and evil spirits for, in the Middle Atlas Mountains region, pottery was once used to predict the type of year a person was going to have, either successful or not, when the hardy gentlefolk would place a couscous steamer on atent pole and then push it off. Were it only to break into a few large pieces, then the year would be good; should it fall and shatter into many tiny pieces then winter will be awful and hard times were awaiting them.

The principal pottery workshops in Fes and the Atlantic port city of Safi have traditionally produced distinctive ranges of decorative wares using fine red clay. You will find potters mainly in Fes running family businesses whose skills of pottery making are passed down from father to son so you may notice similarities among products of a same extended family, mainly with regard to size and motifs in the very distinctive blue and white Fassi pottery - blue, said to be able to ward off evil spirits. Each piece is unique because of the firing technique used to create them for, once fired, there is no way to predict how the glaze will settle, so much so that two articles made with the same glaze could easily come out two different shades, adding to the dedication and skill required for this art form.

The kilns and workshops of Safi, the most extensive pottery centre in Morocco, are to be found outside of the town. The industry was revived in the late 19th century by those potters from Fes attracted by the quality of the local clay to imageduce the technique of polychrome decoration with simple borders and medallions of geometric motifs painted in blue, green, and yellow on bowls, plates, and vases. Pottery and ceramics made here are more ‘popular’, less meticulous and produced in larger quantities than in Fes and are inlaid with metal or covered tightly with leather. This type of ceramics is used as a representative of Moroccan art and craft, most probably because it is close to a ‘modern’ sense of aesthetics often with cobalt blue, yellow and crimson designs in geometric shapes with leaves and flowers in the pattern that shine off a brilliant white background and whose many different shapes of pots and vases make them incredibly versatile for interior decorating: smaller, flat pieces to be placed on tables, while tall vases may be placed in corners of a room to fill excess space. Berber pottery, in contrast, uses brown and red clay from the mountainsides and oases to make unglazed items that are painted with simple designs in vegetable-based colours of red and yellow.

Zellij (zellige)

The Imperial cities of Fes and nearby Meknes remain the centres of this art where geometrical painted mosaics of terra cotta tilework covered with vitreous enamel in the form of small handcut chips are cut according to a precise radius gauge and set into plaster, then to be assembled together in a geometrical structure to form the final single exotic piece of puzzle to be used mainly as decoration for walls, ceilings, fountains, floors, pools, tables and such like.

The more picturesque Moroccan and Arabesque tile craft of vibrant colours and rich textures dates from roots way back to the Frumuseni (Rumanian) polychrome Mosaics discovered inside the ruins of a former Roman Catholic Bizère Monastery which functioned between the 12th and 16th centuries when the region belonged to the then Kingdom of Hungary.

The assiduous attention to detail employed in the creation of intricate geometries and animal, bird and floral patterns were then repeated in Morocco’s zellij tile patterns to steadily evolve into some of the most spectacular masterpieces ever conceived in ceramics and therefore take their rightful place as one of the defacto staples of Mediterranean culture and design, thereby elevating their craft into an art form, just a step away from devotional art.

The art of zellij was to flourish during the initial Moorish conquest and occupation of Al-Andalusia, known as the Hispano-Mauresque period (coloured tiles being called azulejo in Spanish) under a technique called alicatado. The true name for this artwork in classical Arabic is fousseh fissah and the name zellij, not an Arabic word per se, is said to derive from the mispronunciation of the word azulejo. The word tile is derived from the French word tuile, which is, in turn, derived from the Latin word tegula, meaning a roof tile composed of baked clay. The fabrication of zellij was to appear later in northern Morocco with limited use in the 10th century when simple combinations of white and brown colours were used until around the 14th century when the Moroccan Merinid Dynasty ruling sultans of Al-Andalusia and Morocco were to give it more importance as palaces, mosques and medersas were built in Fes and Meknes to reflect their personal grandeur. Subsequent princes, high government officials and rich merchants were to use this art form to decorate their homes as a statement of luxury and of their level of comparative sophistication. As a result of subsequent historical and cultural changes in Spain - the Inquisition and Reconquista of the Catholic Monarchs in the mid 16th century when those Muslims and Jews who refused to convert to Christianity were exiled - Morocco saw the appearance of new techniques in addition to that of Mediterranean tiling art whose spatial decorations avoided depictions of living things, consistent with the teachings of Islamic law to include Kufic inscriptions, hexagrams and six-pointed stars. Blue, red, black, bronze-green, green, light turquoise and yellow colours were not imageduced until early in the 17th century.

Gabss Stucco

This traditional form of Moroccan bas-relief decorative ornamentation is a magnificent and elegant complement to the intricate tilework and delightfully carved wood, generally inspired by 9th century Taifa art produced during Morocco’s conquest of southern Spain (Al-Andalusia) and the more refined later deep sculpting technique dating from the 12th century Almoravid Dynasty period . A carved plaster, generally of cement or lime stucco rather than just plaster, can cover entire walls, arches or columns in fantastic lacy curvilinear and geometric design entailing verses from the Q’uran and/or the name of the sultan who authorised the building. To produce this plaster, the craftsman lays down a layer of stucco, varying between one to five cm thick. After preparation of the wall, an area large enough to be worked is laid and a unique stencil is used to mark the design. The stencil gets pounded with a porous bag filled with cement or other coloured materials. When the still-damp stucco has began hardening the craftsman meticulously gouges out the unique design using a hammer and narrow chisels.

Tadelakt

From the Moroccan verb "dlleq" meaning to knead, squash or caress, appears to be have first been used during the Middle Ages, where the Berbers in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains discovered the water resistant chemistry of lime combined with olive oil soap to use this highly specialised plastering technique, which due to its high Ph value is also resistant to mould, to line cisterns to store precious water. It is a unique blend of marble dust, fine marble aggregate, slaked aged mineral-rich limestone sand from the area around Marrakech that creates a decorative, durable, very high polished, slightly wavy and velvety smooth finish compacted to eliminate any air pockets; at once hard as stone and soft as silk, the combination of soap and lime creates a living breathing surface coloured with the same mineral pigments whose patina appears to be part stone and part leather. Properly applied, tadelakt develops very fine hairline cracks that add to the ancient appearance of the finish and is the traditional seamless coating of palaces, hammams and bathrooms of the restored riads in Morocco and even tagine pots and plates. The age-old traditional application passed from master to apprentice involves the plaster, once set, being polished with a flat river stone then painted with a glaze of egg whites and polished again with a natural soft, black olive oil soap to speed carbonation of the surface and render the surface, called “golden plaster”, more water-resistant and acquire a final rustic, sensuous appearance.

Carpets

Morocco is renowned throughout the world for its regional carpets made with individual styles in different cities, towns and villages throughout the length and breadth of the country, yet all originate in one of two different styles, based on the weaver's Berber or Arab roots. The existence of city carpets and rugs doesn’t really date back to further than the 18th century yet, on the contrary, the origin of rural or Berber carpets remains lost in the mists of time.

To step into the store of a rug merchant is to walk into a den of designs, with no two of them alike. At least fifteen types of Moroccan rugs and carpets are found in shops, from the treasured High Atlas carpets, including the reversible with a summer and winter side to delightful Berber rugs to the cheaper woven and embroidered Kilim rugs, these latter produced by tightly interweaving the warp and weft strands of the weave to produce a flat surface with no pile.

Basically, there are three types of carpets in Morocco, each one at the same time a result of a millennial tradition and singular artwork: urban carpets (which have to be labelled showing provenance), from Rabat or Mediouna (near Casablanca); the basic rougher-textured Kilim and the much appreciated hand-loomed rural carpet from the Rif Mountains, the Middle and High Atlas Mountains and from the Haouz Plain of Marrakech. The way in which these carpets were woven made them easily adaptable to any climate: in the mountains, they are made with a high pile and are more loosely knotted so as to provide protection against the cold, whereas in warmer climes a lower pile height and a finer weave is employed. Urban carpets in the high-Islamic style are most closely associated with the city of Rabat and its sister-city Salé, where a true Rabat carpet can have more than 130 thousand knots in just one square meter whose traditional motifs and patterns found on these carpets often refer to the individual designer and which can take many months to complete. These tend to have Ottoman, Anatolian or Persian influences, with a motif built around a large central medallion, representing the steady swelling of a woman’s body during pregnancy and typically with an overload of iridescent floral and geometric designs and a tendency to give more weight on borders of differing widths. Great care and attention is lavished in the production of the urban carpet. Carded and spun at home, the wool is washed and dyed with natural colourings such as cochineal, madder, indigo, centaurea (cornflower), pomegranate, orange or lemon rind, etc. As they are symbols of luxury, these carpets are often found gracing the floors of wealthy homeowners in the city as opposed to the countryside. Doubt shrouds their origins and when historic truth is disputed, legend is a quick substitute for historical truth when it is reported that a stork flew in from the Orient to drop several carpet fragments which were quickly copied by the women of the city. In fact, two theses exist: on the first hand, the "r'bati" carpets are reputed to trace their origins to distant Asia Minor. On the other, it is said that those Muslims from Al-Andalusia exiled after the mid 15th century Reconquista of the Catholic Monarchs Andalusia who were to settle in Rabat on the banks of the Bou Regreg River, brought with them the designs and skills of their production.

Outside of Rabat, cottage industry carpets are made by hundreds of peasant Berber Amazigh (meaning “free people”) tribal groups where each of these utilitarian knotted or woven carpets and rugs, so diametrically different to urban carpets, is unique and covered with mysterious symbols and geometric motifs, often with purposely unmatched designs and irregular patterns of significance to the individual tribe to showcase and communicate specific ideas to the women’s close relations. The designs follow specific, intuitive forms inherited from her ancestors and her tribe and are her most important possession. These are usually magnificent and noble carpets of soft fleece; their powerful and vibrant colours reminiscent of cathedral windows, still used today as blankets to protect against cold nights. Subjected to the dramatic vicissitudes of the elements in these regions, the women responded by weaving fabrics to suit these particular climatic conditions. Their carpets are of a short pile due to the exclusive use of the warp and the weft intertwined and not knotted. The vertical high-warp or the low-warp looms create bags in which they transport cereals and many day-to-day items, whose decoration is extremely sober but harmonious, dominated by reds, blues and yellows. Only best materials are used and this might partially justify the high cost - for some - of these works and it should be taken into consideration the value of a carpet or rug is based on the complexity of its visual design, the number of knots (an indication of its durability), its age, its thickness, its bright, warm yet earthy colours, its constituent ingredients such as high or low quality wool, vegetable or chemical dye, amongst other factors when you add richness and texture to floors. In regions from Ouarzazate to the Sahara you’ll find carpets of camel skin decorated with Berber icons each relating a story lining the interiors of kasbahs, homes or Berber tents. Women still make and only men sell these woven masterpieces, extraordinary feats of meticulous stitching and detailed work.

Some of the most popular Berber tribal rugs:

From the Middle Atlas Mountains come the Beni Ouarain - the ‘White Giants’ - known as ‘tihlasine’ - a favourite among contemporary designers, the white-ground rugs from the Beni Ouarain Confederation of 17 tribes, usually come in creamy beiges, with a thick and shaggy pile of hand-spun wool and a compact succession of design stripes. The warp of these carpets is always Z-spun white wool, as are the wefts of which there are normally between four and fifteen shoots, but occasionally up to thirty. The pile yarn is Z2S with a pile height of up to 7cm with the Berber knot as the norm

The Marmoucha or Aït Seghrouchene is another predominantly white-ground wool carpet with a thick pile up to 4 cm high, used in winter as a mattress or blanket, with small lozenges and tiny chevrons representing basic, very personal shapes of female anatomy. Long and thin lines represent the male phallus framing female motifs. The Zemmour - flat-weave wool rugs of bands of stripes with dominant fields of a background in red with white cotton used to create contrast, frequently embroidered with the “eye” symbol, chevrons representing the vulva, womb and torso or other talismanic geometric symbols of diamonds, triangles, or zigzags to protect from danger, misfortune and evil.

From Haouz Plains between the Middle Atlas Mountains and Atlantic Ocean come carpets and throw rugs with nests of squares, triangles and rectangles subdivided into grids: The Rehamna - hand knotted, long-pile rugs characterised by personalised, scattered native motifs of non-traditional composition whose all-important vertical lozenges mirror the life of women from birth to virginity, to marriage to pregnancy to childbirth. The Boujad, in the eastern part of the Haouz - long-piled, knotted woollen hand-woven carpets or saddle rugs on cotton warps and wool wefts with bold abstract designs, coming close to those from the Middle Atlas Mountains in their coarse structure, but with a very basic formal canon of simple lozenges, squares or triangles, the freedom of each individual weaver dominating the composition in a very personal pictorial language using free floating forms and often rather sharp colours. These specific regional pile weaves of a very distinctive character do not have a far-reaching history in the traditional sense, but rather represent a recent (1930s) cultural phenomenon.
From the High Atlas Mountains come some of the oldest carpets ever manufactured in Morocco, all of which made in the same region, and a source of national pride to include the finer Tazenakht carpet of the Aït Zenagha tribe from the warm, southwestern pre-Saharan Jebel Siroua region: flat-woven silky and lustrous wool carpets usually long and narrow made from camel or goat hair, often with a well-ordered square, lozenge, or triangular motif in knots on two lines; their bottom is yellow with dense geometrical drawings which are red, dark green or broken white.

The Hanbel - of Aït Ouaouzguite tribe: - a woven rug, lighter and less thick than the typical carpet whose patterns are inspired by nature and whose contours include Amazigh icons, used sometimes instead of carpets and as covers, sofa or wall decoration during national or private feasts. Either genuine sheep wool or good quality cotton is used to make this type of carpet where the threads are well spun and clean. The weft-faced weaves, with widely separated rows of long knotted pile that lies almost flat, exhibit the glossy wool to best advantage - at least when in “full pile” condition. Nothing is added “afterwards,” but rather several picks of weftare woven, then a row of knots is tied. The colours vary between red, yellow, green, black and brown extracted from the endemic plants existing in the region.

The Ouad Zemm - from the desert regions south of the High Atlas Mountains. Perhaps the most dramatic rugs from Morocco, these brilliantly coloured flatweaves of thick wool warp or silk with a solid-coloured backdrop depict plant, animal and talismanic diamonds in interlocking Xs (female sex symbols) motifs woven out of wool or silk, characteristic of Berber rugs. The images of camels, horse and sheep are animals which figure in the daily life of the nomadic Berbers; a triangle motif is said to represent the nomad's tent.

WoodworkThe use of wood as a building material is a widely spread tradition and refined art dating back to the Idrissid Dynasty period of the 7th century A.D., when it was extensively and meticulously used to patiently build and decorate edifices of real masterpieces such as mosques, medersas, monuments, houses with rich and original motives made possible thanks to the presence of warm, indigenous trees such as cedar, pine, beech and olive found in Morocco’s valleys and mountains. Beyond its mesmerising beauty, a pleasant fragrance emanates from wood. It was not until the 12th century when the Merinid Dynasty came from the eastern steppes that working with wood became a fully-fledged art. Numerous panelling elements carved in relief, with bands of religious inscriptions in Arabic calligraphy of angular Kufic or a flowing cursive script and panels of spiralling and interlaced foliage mingled with geometric motifs painted and turned as seen in their domed and vaulted ceilings, doors, friezes, wall panels, and moucharabiehs - and you can forget all about the dull, rectangular doors we’re accustomed to, for Moroccan doors - ‘babs’ - plain and simple according to ones pocket or finely sculpted or ornamented with ornate metalwork forged by master craftsmen when great care and fine detailing fitting snugly into a horseshoe-shaped arch. Moucharabiehs are an openwork lattice of small turned pieces of wood joined in patterns of squares, octagons and stars to form the partitions in the open-plan prayer room and rooms of a Medersa and in private houses to control the flow of air, filter light - and for Moroccan women to look out onto the street without their being seen.

In Fes, Marrakech, Essaouira, Azrou, Salé, Meknes and Tetouan, the Atlas cedar -‘Arz’, - scented and almost indestructible, is considered king. Resistant to bad weather and the blazing sun, it stands out proudly in Morocco’s architectural achievements, whilst the hard, stippled coastal Thuja wood, more fragile yet as precious, is of great value to the artisans of Essaouira, rightly famous for both elegant carving and marquetry, weaving precious articles like a carpet using several different kinds of wood. Furniture and cabinetmakers here make the most of its qualities, patiently working the wood in which inlays are placed by marquetry inlayers delicately hollowing it out to insert thin layers of lighter-coloured lemon tree woods - and/or inlays of shiny mother-of-pearl and/or ebony. Naturally enough, you’ll also find smaller caskets and boxes, coffee tables with marquetry, animal forms and chessboards made out of thuja wood inlaid with ebony, lemon wood or cedar. In Fes the lemon tree is often used to make chests and babies’ cribs and cradles which are often painted in bright colours to ward off those ever-present evil spirits and to make smaller, decorative articles consisting in little elements of elaborate geometric shapes. In the Saharan regions, coffers and chests are also made of carved cedar wood, covered with leather and studded or with intricately painted tribal designs in many colours used as a kind of Moroccan hope-chest in which women's caftans, bridal dresses, hijabs and scarves may be kept.

Jewellery The craft of jewellery is deep-rooted in Moroccan tradition. The skills of Andalusian and Jewish immigrants historically monopolised the workshops of Fes, Marrakech, Tetouan, Essaouira and Tiznit up until as recently as the middle of the 20th century. Moroccan women have all that they could wish for from jewellery using many techniques of casting, engraving, filigree, chasing, and enamelling to communicate visual examples of wealth, status, and identity. It is commonly accepted that Moroccan Jews dominated refined, artistic jewellery and metalwork (silver amulets, Hanukah lamps and copper trays). But less known is their leadership in gold and silver embroidery for secular uses (clothing for the Christian and Muslim elite) and for ceremonial uses (Torah mantle and wedding dresses). City jewellery is usually of very slightly grooved gold finely crafted in intricate filigree and often embellished with corals, pearls, garnets, emeralds, and clear rubies. This precious metal has been worked for a long time in Meknes, Rabat, Tangier, Marrakech, and in the north of Tetouan where it was specifically destined to upper middle class.

Silversmithing has been both a major Islamic and Berber art-form for hundreds of years and is mostly worked in the countryside and used in fabrication of matching sets of jewellery, bracelets, earrings, fibulas, belts, arm and foot bangles and necklaces, sometimes embellished with semi-precious stones or studs inlaid with enamels, sometimes with glassware and coloured wax, sometimes with geometrical designs or with flower-shaped motifs; of daggers and knives (Tiznit, Tarouddant, Essaouira and the Saharan regions) giving opportunity to the inhabitants - and the less wealthy - to decorate their person thereby demonstrating their relative status and wealth. Glassware and coloured wax often replace gemstones and enamel. The dagger Khandjar remains the most widespread traditional weapon of which there are two types: one with a straight blade named Sboula and one with the curved blade called Koumiya, a localised variant of the Middle Eastern jambiya, There are other traditional forms of weapons as well, rifles - Mokahla, with powder magazines, slung over the shoulder, or sabres - Sif all of which can be custom-made or modified at a goldsmith’s, either with an additional inlay of precious stones or with engraving on copper or silver. Among the most popular jewellery are flamboyant Berber heavy solid silver bracelets with deeply- etched designs and often also embellished with coral and amber beads.

Leatherwork Famous for its art in leather, tanneries in Fes, Marrakech, and Tarouddant continue the traditional processes of transforming animal skins into the finest soft leather suitable for shoes, bags, purses, cushions, pouffes, book covers, ceremonial saddles, attaché cases, office trimmings and much more. The main style of shoe for both men and women are the quintessential Moroccan slipper, flat-soled and heel-less, called babouches. These are usually made in white, beige, yellow, or red leather and can be decorated with embossed and embroidered patterns. The footwear of the Berbers consists of closed leather shoes and boots suitable for the rough country terrain. Among the many handbags available is a small traditional one (originally designed to carry a Koran) which would make a delightful evening bag and has become popular in fashionable places. Handbags are made of soft or stiff sheep-skin leather with embossed, embroidered or studded designs, often in coloured leather or natural shades with zip-fasteners or shoulder straps.

Basketwork All sorts of amusing gifts, both decorative and practical, and at very low prices, can be bought from the basket weavers throughout in the country. Baskets can be bought with or without covers, with or without leather decoratives. Some are made very small like toys or extremely big, thick and "woolly" looking.

Stonework Natural stones like the barite - "desert rose", a crystal formation found in the Sahara, make a very decorative object d'art. There are many items carved out of soft local stone called "soapstone": jewellery and cigarette boxes, candlesticks, paperweights and animals or human figurines which are carved with geometric hammered designs. There are also natural rocks or semi-precious stones such as mineral crystal, bright-coloured marbled stones and fossils sold on the roadside in many parts of the mountain areas.

Metalwork Damascene, or inlaid metalwork whose style and quality in prized tempered steel scimitars originated in Damascus and refined by the Moors in Toledo during their conquest of Al-Andalus, is a specialty in the city of Meknes. Near Bou Inania is Kissaria Lahrir, where you can see the traditional process of making silver damascene. This is a very meticulous process whereby a thin gold, silver or copper thread is slowly engraved in steel, iron or bronze and used to decorate plates and other items. Plates may be made of black metal, onto which thin silver filigree is hammered carefully, creating designs personally drawn on first by the artist. There are said to be but three practitioners of this art in Morocco with one, apparently, in France. The filigree inlay, which comes from France, is getting more expensive, and the cost will raise the prices of the plates to a level most standard tourists simply won’t pay.

The importance of metalwork is best seen in Moroccan architecture and furnishings. Doors studded with iron nails turn on iron hinges and are fitted with iron and bronze knockers. Openwork grills of wrought iron decorate windows and balustrades. The workshops also in the souqs of Fes, Marrakech and Tarouddant equip homes with a multitude of fine objects in copper, brass and iron and teapots of silver and pewter; small tables, lamps and knick-knacks to plate rests and candlesticks.

BrassworkThis ancient artistry has a big place in the Moroccan handicraft industry, the specialty of Marrakchis and Fassis, offering candlesticks in several sizes and styles for table, standard or wall-lights. Hammered brass trays or of different types of copper (yellow, red, etc.,) come in numerous sizes, some of them very big indeed and artistically decorated to be placed on wrought-iron or wooden decorated legs to make a table for your lounge. Smaller trays are ideal for serving and even smaller ones make nice ashtrays. Other specialties include plates, candlesticks, chandeliers, engraved mirrors, lanterns, wall sconces, ‘hamsas’, tea pots, coasters and drop earrings, to doors & double beds, sugar-boxes to incense burners.. Finely carved door-knockers and some older ones may be found that make fine antique decorations. Use half a lemon dipped in salt to clean brassware, as do the artisans of Morocco.

Lamps and Lanterns Moroccan brass lanterns with stained glass in sapphire, ruby, emerald, amethyst and topaz shades cast a delightfully intimate light from shapes ranging from a rounded hot air balloon to a diamond-shaped street lantern style to be hung from the ceiling or wall mounted.

What makes Moroccan lamps truly unique is that they're not mass-produced in a sterile factory, but rather, each shade is made of sheep or goatskin and is then dyed and stretched over a solid iron frame, where it is hand-painted with a needle in brilliant colours, in the decorative tradition of henna tattoo artistry. Moroccan lamps, varying in shape, size, colour and mood offer the opportunity to turn a living room into a stunning art museum. Curved Berber floor lamps; others tall and slender in vibrant colours; end table lamps emanate a soothing glow, all pieces of art that will compliment other furniture and themes to add a touch of oriental magic in your home.

HennaOne of the most common sights in the souqs (bazaars) of Morocco is piles and piles of fine, olive-coloured powder containing natural dying properties called tannins obtained from the ground leaves, flowers and twigs of the green henna plant whose use was said to have originated more than 5,000 years ago in Egypt, when Cleopatra was said to have enhanced and prolonged her beauty with henna. Archaeological research indicates henna was used in ancient Egypt to stain the fingers and toes of Pharaohs prior to mummification. These ancient Egyptians and many indigenous and aboriginal people around the world believed that the naturally derived red substances of ochre, blood and henna had qualities that improved human awareness of the earth's energies and was applied to help people keep in touch with their spirituality. Henna has also been used extensively in southern China and has been associated with erotic rituals there for at least three thousand years and is said by some to have been brought to India by Egyptian moghuls in the 12th century A.D., though the use of Henna in the 4th to 5th centuries in the Deccan of western India is clearly illustrated on Bodhisattvas and deities of cave wall murals at Ajanta and in similar cave paintings in Sri Lanka.

The word Henna has its origin in the Arabic word Al-Hinna. In botanical terms it is Lawsonia Enermis, a plant which grows to be 4 to 8 feet high in hot climates. In Morocco it is quite common to see as henna applied both as a hair treatment for, as a healing plant, henna conditions, cleanses, colours and cools the skin, and more usually as a dye to make decorative designs on women's hands and feet for weddings, special occasions or even just for a treat in the art form known as Mehndi. While this retains an aura of festivity, it remains a sacred practice intended not just to beautify the body, but to invite good fortune ‘baraka’ into one’s home, one’s marriage and one’s family, for the wives of the prophet Mohammed were known to have used it. The crushed leaves are mixed with hot water, lemon juice, garlic and pepper to turn into a black paste and applied nowadays with a syringe instead of the traditional Mishwaq pointed twig. Various shades are procured by mixing henna with the leaves, dried berries and fruit of other plants, such as indigo, tea, coffee, cloves and lemon. The application of henna to the body is neither painful nor poisonous. When used in body decoration, henna is thought of as an organically-derived temporary tattooing where it is simply a method of drawing various designs on the skin without the use of needles, therefore no piercing. As the skin absorbs and reacts with the henna powder, the skin is actually stained for a period of up to four weeks, so, because it is anatural stain, it can't be rubbed off or removed with soap and water. Black henna is reserved for the soles of the feet and hands while red henna is used for the tips of the fingers and toes. Pregnant Moroccan women in their seventh month seek out well respected henna practitioners called hannayas, to have certain symbols painted on their ankle, which will be encircled with a corresponding amulet.

Whether you are searching for pottery, such as the famed tagine pot, or a simple Berber carpet, it is best to make a day of the venture. Since somany small shops line the tight, Escheresque labyrinth alleyways of the medinas, it might be hard to know who actuallyoffers quality material at a fair price, which means you have to bargain - what many would call a Moroccannational sport. Certainly, whilst our licensed guides will assist in the patient art of bargaining, should you first want to see what a certain region offers, you would do well, time permitting, to first visit the town or city’s ensemble artisanal. An ensembleartisanal is aFrench concept that transliterates to an artists' cooperative, areas which tend to have local artisans producing their wares inside shops where they sell their goods with usually no hassle to buy, no bargaining to be done and prices marked. While some of the prices can be a bit higher than in certain souqs, the quality of the craftsmanship is worth the investment. So, for those who don’t want to bargain or sip mint tea whilelooking through a hundred different carpets as a suave, savvysalesman boasts about the quality of his products, the ensemble artisanal isthe place to start.