Affichage des articles dont le libellé est Moroccan. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est Moroccan. Afficher tous les articles

jeudi 5 avril 2012

Moroccan Tiles & the Renaissance of Arabesque Design

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Moroccan and Arabesque tile craft is considered an art form by many. From their ancient roots dating back to the Frumuseni Mosaics of the Byzantines a thousand years ago, to the assiduous attention to detail employed in the creation of complex geometries and floral patterns, Moroccan zellige (=zillij) tile patterns have steadily evolved 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.

Dignitaries and patrons of the art used zellige tiles historically to decorate their homes as a statement of luxury and the sophistication of their inhabitants. Zellige tile patterns are typically comprised of a series of patterns utilizing colorful geometric and/or floral shapes. This framework of expression arose from the need of Islamic artists to create spatial decorations that avoided depictions of living things, consistent with the teachings of Islamic law. Being limited in their creativity for centuries to creating solely geometric and floral shapes, Moorish artisans managed to elevate the craft into an art form. In addition to intricate shapes, what defines the brilliance of zellige tiles is vibrant colors (earth tones) and rich textures.

Because of increasing exposure to cultivated Westerners and a cultural and artistic sort of Renaissance in the Arabic World, the making of zellige tiles is blooming now more than ever. The cities of Fes and Meknes remain at the heart of this art to this very day.

Maalems (= master artisans) employed by LE MOSAISTE and their partners

have had the privilege to display their abilities to numerous high profile individuals and organizations over the years. As a result, several of their accomplished projects grace magnificent landmarks and rate among the world's most well-known Moroccan mosaic works. Many of their award-winning mosaic creations can be found in royal castles, famous mosques, commercial structures, public places, and refined villas across Northern Africa, the Middle East and more and more Western countries. Examples include the Royal Palaces in Morocco, the great Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the Mamounia Hotel in Marrakech, the Moroccan section at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the Maison du Maroc in Paris, France, the International Gardens of Cairo in Egypt and so on.




To browse the world's greatest selection of handmade Moroccan and Arabesque tile designs visit:
http://www.mosaiste.com, where you will find an awe-inspiring selection of brand new and classic mosaic tile designs for your next residential or commercial project.





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A Live Moroccan Wedding Feast From A to Z: Part 1

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Az-Zawaj - The Wedding:

Similar to any wedding anywhere in the world, the details of the Moroccan wedding are toiled over for months ahead of time...but I'll just fast forward through all of that madness to the actual wedding day.

Traditionally, the day before the wedding is the Henna party where the bride's feet and hands are elaborately decorated in Henna tattoos by the "henniya" or "henna lady" as I like to call her. The couple decided to combine the two celebrations into one and did the Henna ceremony during the wedding ceremony. On the table infront of the bride and groom, milk and sugar are placed in beautiful metal containers; the milk to keep their marriage pure and white and the sugar to keep it sweet. Scented orange-blossom water is sprinkled on everyone, and burning 'oud (incense) is carried around for all the guests to smell.

So on the night of the couple's wedding, we arrived around 8:00 pm which although instructed to come at this time, we were extremely early. Apparently the Moroccan wedding doesn't really get going until midnight or so, which indeed was the case. I socialized with the other guests and listened to the first band play. They were very talented; I couldn't believe that the music they produced was live! Then, we snuck away to sneak a peak at the bride while she was waiting to be dressed by her two "ngafa", who are hired women that dress the bride in her many different gowns throughout the evening, do her henna tattoos, and announce her and the groom's entrances with a load, booming, sing-song chant that is traditional in the Moroccan celebrations, and finishes with a loud ululation. I ended up staying with the bride in her dressing room until she was ready to make her grand entrance around 11:00 or so. She looked absolutely radiant, literally like I would expect a queen to look. She wore a delicate pistachio green gown and loads of gold jewelry with green jewels topped with a matching gold crown and transparent gold veil flowing down from her hair to her back. Her hair alone was a masterpiece. I was thrilled to get this time alone with her to shower her in camera flashes. The Moroccan bride most always rents her gowns from the nagafa along with the spectacular accessories. She will change throughout the night between an average of 3-9 dresses and matching jewelry and tiaras. Truly, the Moroccan bride is a queen for the evening.








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Moroccan Handicraft

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Marrakech, city of a thousand faces, was discovered with patience, not to miss any aspect of its more hidden secrets. It is above all a country with a rich past, where traditions are deeply rooted.

Moroccan art can be classified into two categories: urban and rural. art city is steeped in tradition imported from East or the Muslim Spain. Eastern influence is especially carpets, fabrics and embroidery while the Andalusian capital is still perceived in the arts of ceramics, metal, wood and leather. The Berber or rural arts have a more "primitive". The objects often have a utilitarian function: furniture, tools, utensils essential to daily life and some ornaments for Christmas and the community

Crafts in Marrakech is rooted in tradition. Each generation passes him a new creativity and student at the cultural industries. Artisans Marrakech is not just a conservative but enrich cultural heritage and adapt to the needs of contemporary society.

Indeed, crafts in Marrakech is rich and alive. Similarly, Handicrafts Morocco are one of the fundamental characteristics of the Moroccan daily life. So Welcome to a world where material, or abundant precious awaits the hand of the artisan to be ...

The wood, metal, copper, wool, stone and clay for several centuries. Adapted to modern life, craft production Marrakesh alongside traditions, offering a wide variety of products ranging from art watermark to the most simple utensils.

THE LEATHER:

Marrakech has countless types of leather, mostly from older traditions. In Fez and Marrakech, entire neighborhoods are reserved for tanners: Bags, in hand with accessories, babouches, poufs, clay pots covered with leather belts, saddles. Many products are proposed in the author website with pictures: babouche-maroc.com

METAL:

The Marrakesh housewife uses mostly local produce copper. The metal is also used, candlesticks, appliques, moucharabieh framework for mirror items are found in Fez, Marrakech and Safi.

WOOD:

The use of wood as building material is a widespread tradition which dates back to the time Idrissides, so around the seventh century. In fact, we use wood for the construction of mosques, monuments, houses and buildings. The wood carvers transform into true masterpieces with rich and original grounds. In addition to its captivating beauty, wood has a pleasant scent in the room he composed.

The woodwork is considered a fine art in Marrakech which requires great care and patience. The woodwork is possible thanks to the presence of trees such as cedar, pine, beech and olive. Several trees are present in Morocco particularly in valleys and mountains.

The cabinet makers and craftsmen working mostly Moroccan cedar wood. Essaouira a few km from Marrakech, which specializes in marquetry, small boxes, chest, tables on foot pads, chessboards are made of cedar wood decorated with ebony wood and lemon. Fez and Tetuan are specialized in painting on wood called Zouak. Fez and Meknes are known by their moucharabieh, work of great finesse where small pieces of wood are turned assembled forming geometric compositions very sophisticated.

THE CARPET:

Behind the tapestry dates back to ancient times. Used both as object of protection against the cold but also as works of art in its own right, we can consider only two families Marrakesh carpet stand out: the urban carpet (subject to stamping), or Rabat of Mediouna, rural and carpets from the Middle Atlas, the High Atlas and Haouz Marrakesh. the art of carpet has enriched all creations of artisans from different populations and the many dynasties that succeeded. Thus, each carpet, even contemporary, is both a tradition bearer millennium and singular work of creation.

Each region Moroccan manufactures carpets with specific characteristics. Varying sizes and colors, the carpet is a popular tradition in Morocco. Only the best materials are used and this explains in part the high cost of these works. Knotted carpets are more popular and come from everywhere. What makes them all originals and intriguing is the meaning of the reasons they present.

CERAMICS:

Clay of very good quality will be worked until the impurities to form vases, jars, pots, plates and trays. These pots are usually embellished by hues typical of the region and the geometric or floral decorations. The most famous cities are: Fez, Safi, Sale and Marrakech.

EMBROIDERY:

The dark blue embroidery of Fes and Marrakech are the most common, of Rabat, Salé, Meekness, Azemmour and Tetouan are also widespread. These works are executed with great skill using mostly the son of silk of different colors. They are found in tablecloths, napkins, Kaftan, Moroccan evening dress.

Semi-precious stones:

The Stone of Taroudant, used to manufacture boxes engraved with geometric motifs. The stones in the rough: amethyst, quartz, manganese are often placed along the road in the High Atlas Mountains between Marrakech and Ouarzazate.

VANNERIE:

A 100% manual trades, it offers an extraordinary flexibility to address unique customer needs. Baskets, vans, trays, boxes, these items are made by hand in almost all villages. In both the rif where women wear huge hats than in cities like Fez, Marrakech and saltwater.

JEWELRY:

Again, we must distinguish jewelry jewelry rural dwellers. The jewels are usually in urban or finely carved motifs, floral for the most part, slightly increased, enhanced with precious stones often cabochon (emeralds, diamonds, garnets, rubies very clear so-called "Fez" and "Marrakesh"), they can achieve great magnificence. They are used mainly for women. The badge for them is an essential complement to their place of celebration. Men, meanwhile, used most often silver jewelry. Jewels rural in the country, especially in the South, the taste for finery is very strong, and jewelry have also Berber their sumptuousness. The most beautiful are silver, others are bronze despite that they retain great nobility. They are of exceptional purity of line, with their geometric designs and sometimes floral motifs. The glass and wax color there are often gems and enamel.

In addition to Marrakesh jewelry, metalwork essentially metalwork (use of iron for achieving including gates, windows, balconies), the DAMASCENE (from Syria, overlays in metal or smooth son twisted copper , Silver and gold), the brassware (parts emboutées), and the work of alpaca (copper, zinc and nickel, whose white glow reminiscent of money). The metals used in all these trades are silver, copper and their derivatives. The silver jewelry is mainly present in the south, Agadir, Taroudant, Tiznit, Goulimine, Laayoune, and Essaouira where the metal is in the form of balls or powder. The brassware and iron are found in cities, particularly in Fez, where they participate in the architecture of large buildings: palaces, mosques ... You can also see the dinandier opens in the souks where they sell trays, decorated with lanterns and colored glass containers they have various carvings or Damasquina. The grounds found on the Moroccan jewelry inspired by various cultural influences that coexist in Morocco such as East, Africa and Europe.

TEXTILE:

Weaving Marrakesh is emerging in Morocco from 1500 BC. Since JC, textiles, used by a wide variety of materials, is the flagship of crafts in Marrakech.

The various forms of crafts ranging from textile weaving simple barrier that the bodies, objects of the finest décor. The Moroccan textile tribes are among the most dazzling and most impressive of the African continent. Variations of rhythmic patterns, the vibration of colors, the variety of textures and the power they emit make them unique. The textile city dwellers have nothing to envy them: the beautiful embroidery of Fez compete with those of Rabat, Meknes and Sale or Tetouan. It should be noted that women held for the holidays (caftan) were works of art created and tailored by hand true artisans of Marrakech.

POTTERY:

Pottery is one of the first crafts Marrakesh. The duality between the Berber heritage on the one hand and Spanish-Moorish influence on the other hand, is found in the techniques employed as in the grounds and decorations that adorn the pieces of clay. In Marrakesh, this tradition has elevated to an art rarely equaled. There are three main categories: pottery town, the magnificent models, mostly made in Fez and Safi Salt and two pottery rural north and south, both utilities, the first being widely practiced by women and the second by men. The three main centers of production of pottery and ceramics in Morocco are represented by Marrakesh, Fez and Safi Salé.

ARTISAN ARCHITECTURE:

The craftsmen of traditional architecture perpetuate traditions that date back, mostly in Moorish Spain. Rather than succumb to standardization, the traditional architectural art has kept its identity. Thus the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, was able to pay tribute to the talent of thousands of artisans and ensure recognition of these ancestral techniques. The various art forms of art-Arab Muslim have their full development in the traditional Moroccan architecture. Indeed, the architecture allows artists and craftsmen produce beautiful masterpieces. If models in the city tend to invade the architecture of the countryside, the rural world has an artistic expression of its own (houses blue-Chief Chaouen). the arrangement of zelliges, plaster and wood gives the town residence, the appearance of exuberant wealth. As against, they give kasbahs and other farm rural cheerfulness contrasts with the austerity and simplicity of the materials used.




Abdelhafid Boufettal
Masters degree in marketing.
Owner of http://www.babouche-maroc.com





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Furnishing Your Home With Moroccan Furniture

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For a home or office that is exotic, intriguing, welcoming, and stylish for anyone who visits, Moroccan furniture can achieve these effects. Some of the most popular home decorating items right now are Moroccan furniture, Moroccan lamps and lanterns, and bedding. The biggest reason for this is because of the unique look and feel that the stunning patterns and colors used in Moroccan home decor will bring to your home. If you are willing to shop around some you will find Moroccan home decor items with prices that can fit in any budget.

Choosing Moroccan home decor means making a statement with your home. This style provides elegance without causing a loss of personality. Utilizing Moroccan home decor and Moroccan furniture can really reach out set the mood that you are aiming for with your guests, making them extremely comfortable. Moroccan furniture also has the advantages of being extremely durable and sturdy, which means these pieces will last for many years while staying in excellent shape without any signs of wear and tear.

Patterns And Colors Used In Moroccan Home Decor

Moroccan furniture and Moroccan lamps can include a number of exquisite patterns and gorgeous colors. The colors used in these lamps are comforting yet exotic. The artisans in Morocco use the colors found in their natural surroundings for inspiration. This means you will find colors that include grain, blue, red, orange, yellow, brown, and purple. The patterns and colors used are combined with wool, wood, silk, and leather so that a very dramatic effect is seen. Some common patterns seen with Moroccan furniture and home decor include flowers, designs which swirl, and many geometric shapes. All of these are combined into one piece of Moroccan furniture or one Moroccan lamp.

Essential Moroccan Home Decor Items

Moroccan lamps and Moroccan lanterns are necessary to finish off any Moroccan home decor. Hanging exquisitely from the ceiling and adding beauty and elegance to any room, Moroccan lanterns normally have frames which are wrought iron and that contain stained glass fragments in many patterns and colors. The oldest type of Moroccan lantern, and one of the best known, is a type called the Djamae Moroccan lantern. This lantern looks rustic and includes a shape which is semi-oval. The glass used is colored green, amber, and blue, as well as clear, and these lamps are exquisite. Moroccan lanterns also come in other styles as well, as these can include the Moroccan Chandelier, Anelka,

Dareh, Alwan, Blue Samaka, and Maroc.

If you want to take the Moroccan home decor even farther you can include Moroccan furniture in the form stools, tables, and chairs, as well as mirrors, rugs, doors, ceramics, and ceiling tiles.

Floor tiles can also be used for a beautiful Moroccan decor in any hallway or foyer. Moroccan floor tiles can be found in many different patterns, and make an excellent accent in any area of your home or work space. These tiles can be found in packages which may include anywhere from a single tile up to six tiles. The cost of each package will vary depending on the tile type and number of tiles in the package. Moroccan floor tiles are very attractive and really stand out in any room where furniture is minimal. For a bedroom with Moroccan home decor simply install the desired number of Moroccan floor tiles, and then place your bet with some fellows, a few nightstands, a room divider, some Moroccan wall sconces, a Moroccan lamp or lantern, and an armoire. A couple of paintings or rugs in your bedroom will soon become your favorite room in the house.

Moroccan furniture and Moroccan home decor and accessories can help you create the look you want, whether this is exotic and luxurious or simple and comfortable. Moroccan decor does not have any set rules, and you are only limited by your imagination.




Seomul Evans is consultant for a Dallas SEO Company for Moroccan Furniture and Moroccan Henna Lamps importer.





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