Brass so intricately pierced it could almost be lace. Wood so artfully carved it rivals the finest calligraphy. Tiled patterns so geometrically precise that they look computer-generated.
Our artisans achieve all of these outstanding effects by hand, using techniques they first tried out as boys in their fathers’ workshops, and then honed through ten-year-long apprenticeships until – inshallah – they were declared to be ‘maalem’ or ‘masters’ of their craft.
Now at work in our ateliers, these maalem are the inheritors of a – sadly dwindling – artistic tradition that could only have reached its zenith in Morocco, where centuries of trade and migration have created a uniquely rich culture – Berber and Arabic; Andalusian and French; Islamic and Jewish; Egyptian and Roman; Persian and Ottoman; east and west.
It is a heritage that we at Moroccan Bazaar are proud to have nurtured and preserved for over 70 years, breathing fresh life into these ancient Islamic practices to create the kind of finely detailed interiors – both traditional and contemporary – that can only be achieved by hand.