Crafts from Morocco
Simply put, Moroccan crafts are our passion and one which we want to share with you, wherever you are in the world.
How we work.
By using this website you are buying directly from the source in Morocco and availing of the most competitive local prices.
Unlike many online sites selling Moroccan crafts our merchandise will be air-freighted to you directly from the artisan’s workshop in the heart of Morocco to your home within days. This means that your purchase hasn’t been sitting in a container or in a warehouse for months if not years.
Our three simple objectives;
1. Best Quality:
Firstly, it is to source the very best quality crafts. While the quality of most Moroccan crafts is excellent we have hand-picked items which combine great craftsmanship with western expectations in terms of excellence of finish and utility . When you feel the softness of our leather goods you will appreciate exactly what we mean.
2. Best Prices
Quality is never cheap but our structure is uniquely cost efficient.
By using our site you are buying directly from the source and availing of local prices. You will avoid paying mark-ups from a myriad of middle-men, wholesalers, importers, retailers and so on.
3. Best Delivery:
Our Global courier partner DHL will deliver your purchase straight to you door within days of you making a purchase. We have negotiated special rates with the international courier DHL which gives you all the security that goes with this global partner.
Price Guarantee:
We guarantee that the price you pay is the full cost you will incur. And that means up to your signing for the receipt of goods with your local DHL courier. Our contract with DHL is inclusive of all taxes, duties and other charges. The Kingdom of Morocco has a Free-Trade agreement with the USA which has greatly simplified selling directly from the artisan to you the final customer.
Purchasing quality Moroccan Crafts has never been so easy.
A little History. – the Essence of Moroccan Crafts.
Hundred’s of years ago similar Moroccan handmade crafts as you see displayed on our site were traded along all North Africa and beyond. They decorated the Arabic palaces of Andalucía and throughout the Ottoman Empire.
Today’s tourists to the Kingdom of Morocco are astonished by the beauty of Moroccan crafts, and none return home empty handed. He will also be astonished at how Moroccans have resisted the trend to use ubiquitous global good for daily needs and remained faithful to their artisanal alternatives. They appreciate the value of their raw materials and the suitability of their crafted produce for daily life.
Our passion is to develop this production by exposing new clients to these wonderful crafts worldwide. By so doing we hope to create wealth and investment in a country which is making great strides to eliminate poverty.
While we would recommend everyone to visit this beautiful and varied country we wanted to give consumers all over the world the opportunity to purchase Moroccan crafts directly from Morocco.
Artistry in Fine Leather
Strolling thought the medieval quarter of the imperial city of Fez it is hard not to be in awe of the artisans, young and old crafting their produce surrounded by shops which display the finished goods.
Green, red, violet, white and yellow, marvelously treated by that city’s celebrated tanners and dyers. Leather being gilded and transformed into a myriad of products ranging from wallets, hand-bags, jackets, hassocks, photo frames and countless other articles being decorated with sumptuous motifs comprising geometric designs, arabesques and stylized flowers or stars. No Gucci or Louis Vuitton here – this is the real thing!
The artistry of these Moroccan craftsmen is dazzling and breathtaking. Since the middle ages Moroccan leather has been traded along the North African trade routes and as far away as the furthest points of the Ottoman Empire. Today thanks to Crafts from Morocco it is available wherever there is broad-band!
Brass and Copper
Next to leather products, the craftsmen of Fez and Marrakesh are world famous for their brass and copper utensils. In the shops and hotels, gleaming brass and copperware entice the tourist and Moroccan alike. Trays in all sizes, braziers, incense burners, door knockers, kettles, teapots and other articles decorated with interlacing arabesque designs and intricate floral motifs are produced with hands inheriting the skills of centuries.
Artistry in Lighting
In Morocco, a room lit with colored lanterns is always complemented with attractive handmade carpets. Candelabra and lanterns with stained glass inserts are very popular. The soft light emitted gives a wonderful warm atmosphere to any space.
World Famous Carpets
Rural carpets, known as Berber carpets, are the oldest type and the most common. Some have very thick woolen piles while others have short goat or camel hair piles. In almost all cases, they reflect the colors of the landscapes where they are made. Hence, they come mostly in beige, brown and tan with a few in black, red and white. Some have designs recalling prehistoric inscriptions while others have geometric compositions made up of lozenges, arrows and saw-tooth lines.
Urban carpets are a newer type of rug (Kilim). They were only introduced from the East into Morocco in the 18th century. Rabat and Sale became the production centers of these rich carpets. Traditionally, the urban carpets have a harmony of seven colors and a multitude of designs. Three bands of unequal width frame a rectangular field with a star-shaped motif in the center. Bands of different colors in geometric or floral designs encompass these and at each end there is a kind of mihrab arch.
In the homes of the wealthy Moroccans these handmade rugs are usually accompanied with inlaid furniture and other wooden accessories usually made from oak. Essaouira, famous for its marquetry, is where many of these charming pieces of furniture, desks, and all kinds of tables, chests and jewelry boxes are made.
Artistry in Woodwork
The city’s skilled artisans polish the hard wood to a satin finish, then inlay it with cedar, lemon wood, ebony, mother-of-pearl and silver in floral and geometric patterns. By using thin veneers of the same wood in a checkered design, or with chevrons, stars and other forms alternating with mother-of-pearl, ebony and silver they bring out the subtleties of the they wood.
In Fez, the craftsmen are well known for their skill in decorating all types of structures with cedar wood, which is abundant in the nearby forests. Ceilings, doors and windows are made attractive with zouak, a type of decor dominated by geometric figures. The city’s artisans, as well as those in neighboring Meknes, also specialize in masharabiehs (screens made of small pieces of cedar wood turned on a lathe and then assembled in clever designs).
Ceramics
The tile-makers whose ancestors made Andalusia (Spain) an earthly paradise still practice their trade in Fez and Meknes.
For cooking Moroccans, in the main, employ glazed red or brown pottery. However, enameled ornamental pottery made in Fez, Meknes, Sale and Safi are produced with the finesse of Italian or Spanish wares. Amphoras, dishes, jars, pots and vases are decorated mainly with cobalt blue on an enamel background. Cross-stitch designs, interlaced curves, polygonal stars and geometric or floral designs are then applied in black to these colorful utensils. In addition, in Safi, ceramic artisans produce in darker colors the metallic sheen found in Malaga pottery which itself was initiated by the Arabs.
In all aspects of the artisan industries, nothing is created hastily. The desire for the excellence, along with the passage of time has created perfection. These handmade products are one of the most fundamental characteristics of Moroccan life. Varied in range from works of art to simple utilitarian articles, they are a living tradition suited for everyday use even in our modern times. Vivid and alive they are a living testimony to the rich cultural heritage of Morocco.
Our Charity Partner & Pledge
Autism in Morocco
Having a disability is the developed world can be a considerable challenge for the families concerned. The same disability in the developing world is a far greater challenge and one which we esteem worthy of our help.
Crafts from Morocco has chosen to support The Moroccan Autism Federation and pledges to donate % of its turnover to this worthy cause.
So you know that a part of your purchase price will go towards helping autistic children throughout Morocco