Artist Aziz Amrani

The Artist Aziz Amrani

Several of his works he e-mailed to me (below):

When in Chefchaouen, we stopped at the Kasabah Museum. As most other museums in Morocco, the older artifacts were depressing to say the least. However, there were several younger artists setting up for a show. One such artist was Aziz Amrani. He has no website unfortunately, but I wanted to share his work. We did our best to communicate in my horrible Arabic and his bad Spanish.

Around the medinas

Ceramics in Fes

Fes is well known for their well-made, handmade, beautiful ceramics. First, you have the clay. The chunks on the left are the dry clay, the pool on the right is where the dry clay is being reconstituted into moist workable clay.

The are master potters who do nothing but make ceramic bowls, plates, cups, tajines, and much more. Note he's working on a kick wheel, no motor.

Then the works are bisque fired in a kiln. This one used wood and sawdust and fire fodder.

After the first firing, the works are then handpainted with a variety of designs, in either the traditional blue and white or in various colors.

The work is then fired once more, and the glaze colors darken and become shiny.

To buy, you must bargain... and I tell you, it was really stressful, hard work having to haggle with the young salesman (below), I mean. Really SUCH a chore to bargain with this cutie to buy mom's display plate. Seriously, the things I do for you mom! :-)

Weaving and the tanneries in Fes

While in Fes, we toured the tanneries. We are quite the olfactory experience... noted by the fresh mint they give you to sniff to help combat the odor of the pigeon droppings. I couldn't cram the mint far enough up my nose, but truthfully it wasn't that bad... The vats on the far left (the white ones) are filled with cow urine, pigeon poop, and acids to soften the leather. It is stripped of its hair etc. by hand before being put in these vats. They tan camel, cow, sheep and goat (the finest leather).

Above you can see the guys start the dying process. The brown vats are full of dye, where the hides will sit for days.

As we toured through the medina we also visited a weaving co-op. Still all done by hand on these big looms.

No, this isn't the GodFather

And no, I don't want to put that camel head on your pillow...

So this was a cool river on the way back from the desert to the uni.

The next couple pics are of King Mohammed IV's palace in Rabat.

The next few are of the Palais Mnebhi in Fez. Here is where France and Morocco signed the protectorate treaty of 1912.