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What are the traditional elements of Arab crafts?
Whenever we hear the word Arab crafts, the typical streets come to mind where you can take a quiet walk and enjoy seeing the most colorful Arab rugs , lamps, lattices and savor the smell of leather. Each Moroccan region is a specialist in a type of raw materials and makes its own elements of Moroccan crafts .
The first precursors to develop this trade of Arab crafts were the Berbers who began with the manufacture of carpets, pottery, iron and silver jewelry. After the arrival of Islam and the Arabs, more polished pottery began to be produced, copper was introduced and work was done to make various utensils. In addition, they began to work with ceramics and wood to make Arab lattices .
In order to know a little more about its evolution, at Decoration Alcazaba we want to show you what each of the traditional Arab craft products that are made today are like and the importance of this tradition.
Traditional elements of Arab crafts
Craftsmanship is work done by a person manually, thus each product obtained is a unique and different piece. Moroccan craftsmanship has been learned and shown from generation to generation, achieving high quality and highly detailed pieces. The types of Arabic crafts that we are going to detail are the following:
The pottery
Depending on the region you are in, a different type of Arabic pottery is produced . Among them, the manufacture of Fez and Safi ceramic pieces stands out . The ceramics of Fez are characterized by their blue color and the ceramics of Safi focus on earthy colors such as brown, green and yellow. In the Moroccan area you can find glazed or enameled clay pottery.
As for their designs, they can be found with very detailed motifs of geometric and representative shapes. All Arabic ceramic products are intended for decoration or for use for preserving or transporting food.
The lattices
The Arabic lattices are made of wood and show geometric shapes and Muslim calligraphy. Today you can find Arabic wooden lattices inspired by mosques or palaces such as the Alhambra in Granada. They are made of wood and you can see a lattice of fine slats to achieve a very careful and unique drawing.
This type of Arabic craftsmanship is traditionally found for home decoration such as bed headboards, paintings, table tops, windows made with a specific motif, etc. Throughout the East it is used to cover interior spaces and screens are even made as space dividers. It is a product that is deeply rooted in Arab culture.
Now, the lattice production processes are more mechanical since laser cutting is used to manufacture each piece of wood.
The carpets
Moroccan rugs, also called Berber or peasant rugs , stand out for their art, where their striking colors and the search for representing natural themes predominate. All Arab carpet models are composed of a base of geometric shapes, repeating simple elements, this is influenced by the Pythagorean culture. On the other hand, the motif of the Arab prayer rug is always the mihrab located in the center.
The shape of this traditional Arab crafts product is rectangular, although you can find square, circular and even hexagonal rugs. Its colors range from very colorful rugs, blue and green rugs, to more classic rugs with a white background and highlighting some dark figures.
The basket weaving
Arab basket weaving was created as a way to meet the needs of the inhabitants. In this way, typical Arab garden furniture, baskets for transporting food, lamps and hats emerged. Everything is made with local materials and reed, reed or dwarf palm are used.
These products have been marketed for years and are still appreciated by the public; it is very common to see shops dedicated to basketry in every Arab market .
The leather
Moroccan leather craftsmanship is the most famous thing we can find in Morocco. At first it was used to make slippers, saddles, even the spines of books. Subsequently, the work has been improved and now we can see more products such as bags, backpacks, belts, cushions, poufs, etc.
The leather goods from Morocco are unique, as they only use natural dyes to color their pieces, without using chemical products.
As you can see, the tradition of representing their own culture and beliefs has not changed, some ways of producing the pieces have. In short, we can find a unique Arab craftsmanship product that can give that touch of personality to our home. Did you know these elements of Moroccan crafts ? Do you like this type of decoration?
