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MOROCCAN
JEWELRY
SILVER : It is worked in the villages of the plateaux and in the mountains.
It is a precious metal valued in the rural areas while gold is very sought
after in cities. Silver by itself or combined with coral and amber, makes
heavy and stern jewellery such as Fibulae chains, necklaces, forehead
diadems, bracelets and anklets. The southern mountains, the Anti- Atlas
and the Bani represent the stock house of Berber jewellery. The silver
jewels worn by the nomads are sold in the markets of the south: Goulimine-Tiznit-
Risani and Tan-Tan.
GOLD : By itself or combined with emeralds, pearls and Turquoise, gold composes
more fragile and refined jewels: Rings, necklaces, pendants and diadems.
Gold is worked in these cities: Fes, Essaouira and Tangier. If women crave
for jewels, so do their husbands, who value the sumptuous gold and silver
daggers inlaid with precious stones.
COPPERIES,
Moroccan carpenters and craftsmen work mainly cedar wood. Essaouira: specializes
in inlaid-work: small boxes (jewel cases, etc...) pedestal tables, chess-boards
made of thuya embellished with ebony, lemon-tree wood and cedar. Fes and
Tetouan specialize in painted boxes and cradles. Fes and Meknes specialize
in mousharabies and lattice work composed of small machine-turned wooden
elements of cedar, worked in such a way that once assembled, present sophisticated
geometrical shapes.
CERAMICS,
Clay is turned into jars, vases, plates or plain dishes (tajines). It
is generally embellished with touches of tar or illuminated with sophisticated
arabesques. The most famous pottery is made in Fes and Safi. Salé specializes in decorative pottery with coloured glazing.
EMBROIDERY,
The dark-blue Fes embroideries are the most famous ones. Those of Rabat-Salé,
Meknes, Azemmour, and Tetouan are famous as well. This needlework is executed
with brightly coloured silk threads and bears the name of the place where
it is embroidered. The embroideries are featured on table-cloths, table-sets,
(napkins and table-cloths), fancy-works, velvet or gold and silver lamé silk Kaftans.
THE
STONES, The soft stone of Taroudant is used in carving boxes
and inventive paper-weights. These objects are chiselled into rough geometrical
decorations. Unworked mountain stones such as quartz, amethysts, manganese,
crystals etc... are sold along the roadsides of the Grand and Middle Atlas.
BASKETWORK,
Baskets, frails, trays and coloured straw-boxes are hand-made in almost
every village. In the Rif (region of Tangier and Tetouan) country-women
wear huge hats. Basket-work souks can also be found in cities such as
Fes, Marrakesh and Salé.
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