Stuart Altmann on sat 5 jun 99
Reid:
Here are some notes on ceramics in Morocco, based on our 1993 trip there,
primarily to Marakesh.
The arabic for ceramics is "el khara."
In the great marketplace of Marakesh, the pottery shops are concentrated in
one area. You'll see many beautiful pieces. (Start your bargaining at
about a third of what they ask, and don't readily go beyond half.)
However, so far as I could learn, no ceramics are made in the marketplace,
unlike many other crafts, such as leather tanning, wrought iron work, and
cloth dying (including true indigo, from indigo plants, a lush dark blue).
I was told that there is a pottery workshop at Duar Isiki, on the route to
Taraksawera, a (long?) cab ride from Marakesh. Didn't have time to go
there, though.
A distinctive and commonly used ceramic vessel in Morocco is a tajin, a
covered casserole with an unusual lid: concave instead of convex on the
outside, culminating in a largish knob on top. As with most ceramics in
Morocco, tajin decoration is typical arabic, with complex patterns of
repeated motifs.
A tajin is also a traditional food-dish cooked in this vessel. It is a
stew, often of lamb and couscous, served many ways including sweetened with
fruits. Speaking of traditionaly Moroccan food, splurge some evening and
have dinner at Restaurant Yacout, in the Medina of Marakesh. Magnificent
food in a magnificent setting!
We were told that the best ceramics in Morocco are in Fez. Didn't get
there, so can't vouch for this.
A day trip out of Marakesh took us to a Berber village (Emesquine?), not
far from Ouirgane). On the outskirts of town, saw but didn't have time to
check out a small cluster of what looked like beehive kilns. In the
marketplace of Marakesh, bought a large, very old water vessel, probably
made by Berbers. The sparse decoration on it certainly is not arabic. It
was in a far corner of a dusty top floor of the shop--obviously regarded as
not worthy of prime display space. The Berbers on the Canary Islands were
slaughtered by the Spaniards. In Morocco, a few survive in isolated
villages in the arid parts of the Atlas Mts.
Have a great trip!
Stuart Altmann
email: salt@princeton.edu office 'phone: 609/258-4520
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