Called Artisanal Affairs and offered by Culture Vultures, the new tour gives you the chance to meet and talk to the artisans of Fes, pick up their tools, have a try at the potter’s wheel or feel the weight of a wood carver’s hammer.

We set off from R’Cif and plunged in, starting at the street of the dyers. I was accompanied by a friend, Kirsty McBeath, who was a first-time visitor to Fez – so our experiences were quite different but equally astounding. For me, having lived in the Fez Medina for two years and seen the sights with many visiting friends and relatives, the opportunity to take it slowly and chat at length with the true artisans of the medina was a revelation.

Weavers, duckers and divers

Kirsty said she was amazed to meet people who have had their skills passed down through generations of workers, using methods that remain unchanged for centuries. “It was incredible to interact with the local artisans and to gain a more in-depth insight into their craft,” she said. “The experience allowed me to be a participator rather than a spectator.”

With a local guide, Hakima, as our translator and go-between, we met and interacted with these proud and talented craftspeople, who, once given the chance to be more than just a passing photo opportunity, were only too pleased to tell us their stories. Old photos came out, problems and worries were shared along with achievements, traditional working songs were sung and histories related.

An old metal worker in Place Seffarine showed us a picture of himself as an apprentice aged fourteen (below). He related the time he was invited to a conference of artisans in Germany and his amazement at meeting a female metalworker from Austria who used the same tools as he did. He left us with some sage advice: “Handicrafts – if it doesn’t make you rich, it makes you good,” he said.

Another metalworker proudly showed us a photograph of a giant hammam water heater he had made after three weeks of labour. He also confided that some of the workers suffered from hearing difficulties after a lifetime of working amongst the repetitive banging sounds of hammers on metal.

A proud copper worker at Seffarine Sq

Another highlight was visiting the tanneries – and this was no ‘elevated viewing platform clutching a sprig of mint’ experience! We entered from the river side, behind the giant wooden wheels that churn the water for washing the skins. The smell, initially overwhelming, was quickly forgotten while we concentrated on negotiating our way between the gullies of lime and sludge and workers carrying piles of dripping skins.

Fez Tannery,... same as it ever was.....

Men in work-worn shorts with wiry legs nimbly scurried along the edges of the dye pits, while we cautiously edged our way in, having visions of ourselves ending up half submerged in a pool of red, yellow or brown liquid.

The extent of the backbreaking labour involved is only apparent when you get this close. The sight of a man using his full body-weight to flay skins with a giant blade will stay with me for some time.

Shortly after getting our feet dirty, it was time for our hands to follow suit. This was during an out-of-the ordinary visit to the potteries where we got to handle the clay and try our pot throwing skills. Alas, despite being tutored by a ‘mallam’ (master craftsman) my efforts were unlikely to see the inside of a kiln.

Omar Woodcarver and Jsss Culture Vulture

The tour finished at the modern Artisanal Centre in Batha, which gives an opportunity to see how these ancient techniques are being carried into the future in an environment that is better for the wellbeing of the craftspeople. Master wood-workers, embroiderers, saddle makers, painters, rug-weavers and cobblers fashioning babouches are all here passing their expert knowledge on to the next generation of artisans.

Part of that knowledge is the songs that are traditionally sung to pass the time while working, and we finished our visit with an impromptu rendition of some of these folk songs by a roomful of babouche makers. We learned about poetry called Ghalnassi and heard a recitation from the poet Gnoun.

Jess Stephens (or another Culture Vultures representative) accompanies the tours as a facilitator, to bridge relations between artisan and visitor. “The Fes-based experience is the first of two Artisanal Affairs tours – I will also be starting one in Sefrou,” Jess said. “In shaking hands with the craftspeople I hope that the visitor will also discover the experiences, lives and traditions such as the songs poetry and tales of their trade.”

So, for those who prefer wellies to stilettos, and are keen to get down and dirty with the real people of the medina, this experience is for you. It did leave me wondering however, how many more generations will continue these traditions? Will the time capsule that the medina artisans inhabit last? Here’s hoping the amazing skills, songs and histories of the master craftspeople of Fez is not lost.

Thanks to Vanessa Bonin.

Click here to book a morning or full day for an Artisnal Affair.

Geode

Geode – Tennis ball size specimens of crystals in a hollow geode costs around ₤12/24$ in theUKor theUS, on the Moroccan hard shoulder they may cost you more. Brilliant orange and red geodes and slices of rock crystal (quartz) look attractive but are unknown to natural science as are the quartz geodes given an iridescent metal coating by vendors.

Ammonites

Ammonites – Attractive spirals of ammonites (from Carboniferous to Jurassic) in Morocco they can be bought sliced and polished as well as raw. Check the center of the spiral of the ammonites and at the ridge around its shell to check how far natural features have been ‘enhanced’ by a chisel.

Tribulites

Trilobites – Slightly older ammonites, trilobites often appear in shops as identical beige-colored fossils on grey slate. In nature they are rarely so perfect – beware plaster casts. The early trilobite paradoxis is about the size of a hand, with long whisker like spines. A deep-sea inhabitant, it is often found looking rather squashed sideways, where the silts on which it lived have been sheared by pressure. The Calymene and Phacops types of trilobites are about 200 million years younger Paradoxides . They measure about 2 inches long, with crab like outer skeleton. The half rounded shield-like skull, often found separated from the exo-skeleton, can appear in a shop with the rest of the skeleton carved around it as a tribute to the Moroccan craftsmanship.

Nautilus

In the back limestone regions near Erfoud, the white crystalline shapes of belemnites, ammonites and nautilus are cross sectioned and polished to emphasize the internal structure.

Information from Lonely Planet.  www.lonelyplanet.com

See our shop inspired by Moroccan Materials.

She’d like to hear from high quality Moroccan contemporary jewellers who perhaps give a modern twist to traditional silver Bedouin style.

Berber head-dress.

 If you think your work might fit this description please contact her at tina@rileyarts.com with links to your work and she’ll be able to give you more information about the show if relevant.

Who goes?… Who doesn’t?

Weddings, being one of the most significant ceremonies and gatherings in any culture, reveal and often exaggerate a culture and expose traditions. Arabic Moroccan weddings do just that. Kept awake all night on feasts of meat dishes then sugar injections of tea and cookies until dawn, guests ( family, friends and often the rest of the local community) gather to celebrate the unison of two people and their clans.

What time?…… Who knows

No one is ever quite sure when a wedding officially starts or when it finishes, sometimes the bride and groom don’t not even arrive until midnight, when the night is still considered young.

Typical Fassi Thrones

Thrones.

Bride and groom have table/thrones that they are paraded around the party on, then there are often static thrones where they exchange dates and milk ( symbols of love and fertility), pose for photos and videos and are greeted and congratulated by their guests. There’s nothing like a throne to make you feel special, particularly when you are lifted at shoulder height and danced around the dance floor on one.

 What will she be wearing?? There is a variety.

Moroccan Bride with Henna

The bride can adorn up to 7 or 8 types of costumes of varying fashions throughout the celebration. She is persistently shadowed by a “Nagafa’, who is, lets say, wardrobe and makeup assistant and general bride ‘fluffer’.  A large part of the evening is spent “backstage” changing into the next outfit. The diverse cultures ofMoroccomakes what the bride will adorn also variable, nowadays most will also wear a western brides white silk dress. Kaftans of any bright color are acceptable for a bride of a Moroccan wedding. If there is any trace of Berber blood then the bride will at one point appear in traditional Berber garment.

Head-dressage? Oh yes..

Traditional Fassi Brides Headdress

The Fassi headdress seems the most extreme and certainly heavy. Of course in any culture head-dresses are common for brides but this one in particular is excessive in both size and weight. Brides talk of its weight and restriction of movement.  Other head gear can be the simple veils and definitely crowns or tiaras.  Hair is heavily sculpted matching the usually heavily applied make-up.

Of course there are traditions and also new modern elements and influences to any wedding and couples choices. Common factors are…  Moroccan weddings are all night events if not longer, sugar is a necessity to keep up for so long, music is at high volume, and dancing is recommended.

More on traditional Berber weddings another time….

Visit our Moroccan inspired Jewelry shop to see our latest creations

Moroccan woven buttons

One of the many things the Jews left behind in Morocco was the art of tailoring and its bi-product the textile button. These hand woven gems are made all over Morocco but are more commonly found in what were richly populated Jewish towns such as Sefrou, in the Fez region. Many of the old medina residential streets are peppered with women who gather outside in the early summer evenings to spin the thread and/or hand weave the buttons. The purpose of these buttons is rarely to fasten but more to adorn the front of djellabas and Kaftans.

Detail of button on a Moroccan Kaftan

The buttons, simple as they may seem, can be made into many different types of knot. Some of the more common styles are Jacard, wrda and bildi but be assured there are women out there with creative minds who are creating with new knots and fashions.

The Threads

It was three years ago that L’Association D’Artisanat Des Femmes De Khenifra under the supervision of Lynda Zahava of the Peace Corps started to produce necklaces assembled from these Jellaba/kaftan buttons. Now there are several Moroccan cooperatives as well as Moroccan Bling that use these threaded trinkets as a material for jewelry collections. Sold also in tassel shops in Marrakech they may soon be transformed into some kind of home decoration. You heard it here first……….

A Moroccan Bling Creation

Visit our etsy shop to see more textile button creations.

jalaba button bracelet by Jess

A pop-up retail space is a venue that is temporary — the space could be a sample sale one day and host a private cocktail party the next evening. The trend involves “popping-up” one day, then disappearing anywhere from one day to several weeks later. These shops, while small and temporary, can build up interest by consumer exposure. Pop-up retail allows a company to create a unique environment that engages their customers, as well as generates a feeling of relevance and interactivity.

In this case Bedouin Bonbon participates on a fringe and grass roots level with The !7^th Sacred Music Festival, enriching the cultural experience of Fez medina residents and visitors alike.  Bedouin Bonbon is open from 10 am to 8 p.m. until the 17^th of June only collaborating creative ideas with Moroccan materials.

Jess at Bedouin Bonbon

For a direct line contact Jess on 06 45 22 32 03

For those unable to actually visit the pop up shop go to etsy.com

The spread of technologically advanced workshops in the Roman Empire led to more complex fibula designs. Bows were cast in more complex forms, hinges appeared alongside bilateral springs and a wide variety of plate designs were introduced.

Fibulae from the Metropolitan Museum. N.Y.

The Ring, or annular, fibula or brooch is extremely hard to date as the design for utilitarian pieces was almost unchanged from the 2nd to the 14th centuries AD. If there is decoration, this is likely to indicate whether a given ring fibula is Roman-era fibula or a medieval brooch. Obviously there are many a fibulae found in Morocco today that date a mere handful of years.

A singular feature of North African Berber costume is the use of the fibula, an ancient article of jewelry that holds capes and other garments in place. Fibulae from the Islamic period consist of two triangular end pieces, which are pinned into the clothing, and a chain that connects them. This piece in silver is an imposing example of a relatively rare type.

Though other classical cultures around the Mediterranean used fibulae, the geometric outline and interior design of this piece are unique to Morocco, and can be found in local textiles as well. In these designs have talismanic properties and symbolize magic, protection, and good luck.

The modern version!

The descendant off the fibulae, the modern safety-pin, remains in use today.

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Wikipedia

Click here for Moroccan Fibulae Earrings at out Etsy shop.

African Trade Bead/Millifiori

These pieces of colored glass, found in many countries over the globe, can also be named as African Trade Beads, Slave Beads, Love Beads, Mosaic Beads, or Venetian Trade Beads . In Morocco Millefiori are found more commonly in the Agadir region, specifically Guelmim, once a camel trade, cross roads town and of course Marakesh where no stone is unturned and traded for.

The beads were produced between the 16^th and 20^th centuries in Venice Italy, formerly an important center of commerce.  Being a form of currency, popular in the slave trade, these beds turn up in markets and boutiques in Africa, the Americas and parts of Asia. The intricate droplets of glass were exchanged for human cargo as well as ivory, gold and other goods desired in Europe and around the world.

Millifiori

Millefiori translates from Italian as a thousand flowers and these now jewellery pieces consist of intertwined lengths of glass that were bound and stretched at a high temperature and then cut into cylinder shapes.  Beads such as the kiffa beads of Mauritania are thought to have resulted from women creating powdered glass beads to mimic the appearance of Millefiori beads.

You can distinguish between replicas and the real thing by looking at the strength of the color – mass produced millefiori beads tend to have greater color intensity.

If you have more information on Miliifiori beads in Morocco please comment on this post below.

Visit our online Moroccan Jewellery Shop at www.etsy.com/shop/jessiculture

Henna freshly applied

Henna is a flowering plant used since ancient times for dying hair, fingernails, drumheads, leather, wool and skin and to decorate the female body, bringing baraka (good destiny).  In several parts of the world it is traditionally used in various festivals and celebrations.

The adornment of hand and feet during holy festivals in Northern Africa continues to be popular today. Often seen as something that attracts the opposite sex, henna is not applied during the month of Ramadan. Brides will typically have the most henna, and the most complex patterns, to support their greatest joy, and wishes for luck. . Infact  henna adornment is not only for women but also for horses and donkeys on hooves and tails.

Henna, the final result

For skin dyeing, a paste of ground henna (either prepared from a dried powder or from fresh ground leaves) is placed in contact with the skin from a few hours to overnight. Henna stains can last a few days to a month depending on the quality of the paste, individual skin type, and how long the paste is allowed to stay on the skin. The plant paste reacts to protein on the skin thus henna is stronger on parts of the body with a higher protein level.

henna powder

Henna also acts as an anti-fungal and a preservative for leather and cloth. It is know to be used for medicinal purposes. Henna repels some insect pests and mildew. The flower has been used to create perfume since ancient times.

Visit our Moroccan Jewellery shop www.etsy.com/shop/jessiculture

Blue-man of the Desert

The Tuareg people are predominantly nomadic people of the sahara desert, mostly in the Northern reaches of Mali near Timbuktu and Kidal but are also indigenous to Morocco.  They are often referred to as “Blue Men of the desert” – because their robes are dyed indigo blue. They traditionally live in small tribes with between 30 and 100 family members and keep camels, goats, cattle and chicken which graze the land.

A Taureg Woman

However, in recent times the Tuareg have been abandoning their nomadic way of life and take up sedentary lifestyles. Drought and government policy are threatening their traditional way of life but Tuaregs and their camel-caravans still appear unexpectedly on the horizon before melting into the desert again.

Taureg Silver

From their inventive spirit and skillful hands springs a culture renown for artisan works, notably for their spectacular silver jewelry. Tuareg women have a superstitious fear of gold and don’t wear it; silver has thus taken its place in the Tuareg traditions. Silver jewelry is part of every Tuareg family estate, it has both symbolic and real value, serving also as savings and for (foreign) exchange.

The Southern Cross from Agades or Iferwan was originally worn only by men who transferred it from father to son at puberty. It hints to the virility and strength of the young men in relation to their traditional nomad lifestyle. The cross represents saddle pommel of their camels or in a wider view, the four cardinal directions.

Taureg Cross

Traditionally a father would transmit the cross to his son saying “Son, I give you the four directions, as no one knows where your path will end.”

For more information on Taureg news see http://tuaregcultureandnews.blogspot.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/jessiculture to see more of the Jewelry piece above.