Moroccan Jewelry from Yesterday to Today

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Moroccan Jewelry from Yesterday to Today

Traditional jewelry use to be an adornment that varied according to regions, tribes and clans.
Generally, it was composed of a diadem or a dressing covering the head or the temples or ornaments braided into the hair. Others types included earrings or voluminous rings held together by a small chain tied on top of the head, pins used as broaches bolding cloaks, chest ornaments, ankle and wrist bracelets, and rings.
There are two kinds of jewelry : rural and city.

Rural jewelry

The are generally in silver ,the techniques used to make them and their decorations vary according to region. The most common technique is casting. filigree is mainly found in Essaouira and Tiznit, although there are fewer craftsmen now and the craft is disappearing.
jewelry is enhanced by enameling, while niello or black enamel is also widely found.
They can be set off with coral, cornellian, amber, coins, born, etc. Apparently unique, the southern region on the Mauritanian border seems to have maintained almost intact its customs as much as for the ornaments as well as how they are made.
Women still wear their jewelry-weighted veils, and craftsmen still melt silver in earthen-wear crucibles or hollowed stones, using the tools of the ancestors; Only the blowtorch has now occasionally reptaced the forge.

Urban jewelry

The symbolism of urban jewelry is the same, but it is made of gold or gold-plated silver. The technique to make it is more ela¬borate and refined. It was the work of Jewish craftsmen, grouped together in Fes, Meknes, Tetouan or Tangier. It was adorned with polished but not faceted precious stones (rubies, garnets, eme¬ralds or pearls), The shape of these jewels can remind one of Byzantine jewelry.

Above all,florai designs and arabesques were used.Among the most sumptuous is the Lebba, the fabulous bridal necklace. Curiously, it is urban jewelry that has suffered least from modernity and has better adapted to it. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings have experienced very little change.

Morocco’s prehistoric artists

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Morocco’s prehistoric artists

Modern Moroccan artists are well-known within their country and beyond its frontiers. But how many people know that Morocco’s artistic tradition goes back to prehistoric times, back 5,000 years?

The oldest known artistic representations in Morocco are the work of cattle-herders who pastured their animals in the far south. At that time, about 3. 000 B.C., the present-day desert was less inhospitable and its savanna landscape could support herds of cattle and numerous wild animals.
The prehistoric artists engraved their pictures on the rock in many parts of Morocco, especially in the south but also in the High Atlas mountains. The rock engraving sites are generally near water or mountain passes. unlike the cave art of France and Spain, these engravings are in the open air clearly visible. The artistic’s first tools were of stone, later, metal chisels were used.

The favourite subject of the southern herders was their cattle. Wild animals were shown , since hunting still played an important part in the economy. The large hartebeeste antelope was frequently depicted, archaeologic excavations have confirmed its important as a food resource. Man himself was occasionally represented: behind a rhinoceros attempting to sever a tendon, face to face with a lion or trampled by an elephant. A few rare pictures indicate the clothes he wore. Particularly attractive engravings capture the movements of the wild animals, – generally antelopes or gazelles – as they leap, browse or raise their heads attentively. Legs, tails and horns are exaggeratedly prolonged, giving an impression of fantasy and delicacy.

In the High Atlas mountains although the artists continued to engrave cattle, metal weapons became important: daggers and halberds more or less faithful copies of real bronze age weapons found in Spain and dated to about 1,700 B.C. They are thus younger than the southern Moroccan engravings of wild animals. Round decorated shields seem to indicate a heraldic system particular to each clan or tribe. Life-size engravings of humans bombarded with arrows or lance-heads may represent important enemies or perhaps the death of a well-loved chief The High Atlas style is robust. Daggers, halberds and shields convey a force which inspires admiration and respect.

Later, in the first millennium B.C., other artists engraved authentic stories on the rock faces: fights between horsemen and foot soldiers or hunting scenes involving leopards and barbary sheep.

Faced with these pictures in stone, left to us by past inhabitants of Morocco, one asks oneself: why were they done ? We shall probably never be sure of the answer and it is likely that the reasons changed throughout the ages. However, Art for Art’s sake can be excluded, as can doodling by idle shepherds. While prehistoric art clearly had a function, it is certain that the artist himself had no personal message to convey. He inevitably formed part of a group, and it was the needs of the group which determined his subject.
Many theories have been. advanced to explain prehistoric art. Hunting magic was for long in favour, by which the drawn animal was bewitched and became an easy prey. This theory was followed by that of a ‘fertility cult ».

The engravings also doubtless had a symbolic charge in addition to their apparent value. The many representations of life-size humans and ovoid and violin-shaped « idole » in the High Atlas express mythologies and beliefs that are beyond our comprehension. Sun cults have been proposed by same researchers where others only see round shields … In contrast, the first millennium battle and hunting scenes seem to be a clear-cut way of commemorating important moments in the group’s history.

Whatever that may be, Morocco’s ancient populations had authentic artists. Working in a difficult material, stone, they managed to express the desires, hopes and fears of their time. To stand today in front of a picture made some thousands of years age is a moving experience.

When the coins recites history

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When the coins recites history

the coins is, among other things, one of the vectors which hail a dynastic past and the construction of a Nation-State. The coins displayed the most mastery and consistency in accompanying this construction.

Our Subject retraces roughly the monetary past of the Alaouites, from the beginning of the cherifian dynasty to 1920, a date at which Morocco knew a monetary and financial transformation in favor of the appearance of the bank note and new modes of payment.
Morocco was prey to a serious political, social and economic crisis when in the middle of the 17 th century, following the Saadiens, the Alaouite Cherif managed to establish authority over the country. Political instability, the decline in urban life, wars and epidemics had accentuated the financial crisis. The stock of precious metal that the Saadien rulers detained progressively dwindled, and at the end of this dynasty, the gold coin (the dinar) and convertible cash in silver (the dirham with its multiple and subdivisions) disappeared com¬pletely from circulation. With no more gold and no more silver, Mediterranean business withdrew from Morocco where a crude economy was organized locally with an essentially depreciated bronze coin. Such was the situation in Morocco at the accession of the Alawids.

Moulay Rachid (1075-1082 H/1664-1672)

In reestablishing order, Moulay Rachid inherited an arduous task : that of putting the public finances back in order and of the organization of a coherent monetary system. The young Sovereign had audacious views. First he decided to revise the fiscal system in abolishing the taxes which hit the poor popu¬lation. Next he ordered on 23 May 1669 the production of a new type of silver dirham, called commonly « Mouzouna » (0,73 g) to curb bartering which had become common practice. Finally, he helped the tradesmen of Fez and other towns by granting them from his own pocket 50 hundred – weight of convertible silver. This in take of air relaunched the economy. The different emissions of silver, coming from the workshops of Fez, Sijilmassa, Marrakesh and Rabat, showed the judiciousness of the Sovereign’s policy who gave each province the autonomy of minting in order to favour regional commerce. Some time after, in November 1670, began bronze convertibility, to replace the Fels in circulation which had different values – by a fixed unit. With the installation of a new coin and the expression of sovereign authority, the mass of dinars that had been hoarded up « came back to the surface » and the exchange value gold / silver fell again to 12/1 under the combined effect of the regulation of the monetary circuit and from the impulse given to external trade. Moulay Rachid died accidentally in 1672 leaving behind him a Morocco hardly unified, but an immense work all the same.

Moulay Ismail (1082-1139 H/1672-1727)

Moulay 1smail, the successor, carried out his tireless activity on all branches of the Makhzen administration. This enterprising mind alerted him that only a healthy and rapid monetary circulation could ensure the vitality of commerce and regular income to Bayt el-mâl (Tresory); thus he thought about creating the first dinar of the dynasty, the bunduqi, calibrated on the Venice Seguin which was the reference point in the big trading towns’ of the Mediterranean. Gold minting was concentrated in Meknes (The Capital), Fez and Marrakesh whereas the convertibility of silver and bronze spread to other towns like Rabat and Safi. These monetary series revealed, through their consistency, a period of prosperity in Morocco: So much so that when the Sovereign died, while six of his sons were disputing the throne, the country didn’t suffer from a monetary shortage nor from a political crisis: obvious sign that this Great King had finished establishing the Kingdom ‘s unity.

Sidi Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Allah (1171-1204 H/1757-1790)

Under the reigh (of Sidi Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Allah the coin diversified and the workshops multiplied. In order to rehabilitate the metallic circulation weighed down by numerous foreign cash, the Sovereign revaluated the gold coin in creating once again the bunduqi of his grandfather (Mly Ismail). At the same time, abandonning the silver mouzouna, he installed the dirham, which found its legal weight again (2,93g) and its tenfold, the Mithqâl a small masterpiece which is highly cove¬ted by today’s collectors.
At the exchange the bunduqi was 4 worth two mithqâl. But it is important to note that only just out the bunduqi and the mithqâl ended up in jars (our woollen stockings).

Withe Grescham’ s law (bad coins chase the good) exercising its perverse effect the monarch had a religious inscription engraved on these coins al high value which predicted a disastrous fate the hoardes Struck however at a very reduced pace by rudimentary techniques they were not produced in sufficient quantity to feed an increasingly intense circulation. Discouraged, Sidi Muhammad limited himself to striking dirhams in several towns in order to respond to the growing volume of transactions and to alleviate the impact of the Spanish real on the Moroccan economy.

Moulay Slimân (1206-1238H/1792-1822)

Son of Sidi Muhammad, Moulay Slimân managed to bring calm to the tribes and to work for the development of trade and exchange. By its changes and ruptures, his coin convertibility reflected the political fluctuations of his reign. He struck a new bunduqi as well as dirhams of a lighter weight. Whereas gold and silver were hoarded only casted fels were in circulation.

At Moulay Slimàn ‘s death, the lack of precious metals began to be felt and in the Moroccan ports there was an influx of coins from Spain and France which were progressively integrated into the monetary system.

Sidi Muhammad Ibn’ Abder-Rahman (1276-1290 H /1859-1873)

Not content with having increased their economic influence over Morocco, the European states wanted to seize the country politically. In Septemberl859 the Spanish army occupied Tetouan. The Spanish would only evacuate the city in payment of 100 Million pesetas. Sidi Muhammad Ibn Abder Er Rahman had to borrow from the English and empty the tresory in order to satisfy the Spanish demands and finally liberate the town. It meant ruin for Morocco who stopped all minting save that of bronze which became common currency for more than twenty years.

Moulay el-Hassan (1290-1311 H/1873-1894)

From this reign the financial situation imporved. An excellent and scrupulous man, he reestablished the legal metrological system and modified the types of coins. He thus crea¬ted, taking alter the Spanish real (27 g) the “riyal Hassan” 29,1I g. This coin first came out in Paris in 1299 H (/882). It was follo¬wed by three others and was continued by Moulay ‘Abd el-Aziz until 1900. The hassani competed advantageously against the real. This was not to account for the attractive power of the Spanish silver coin which at first circulated at a par with the rival before outclassing it on the exchange market. The hassani was subjected to fierce speculation. Bought at a low price, it was transformed on Iberian soil into reals before going back to Morocco a few grammes lighter. Moulay Abd el- ‘Aziz dared to remedy the situation in establishing the riyal at 25 g, the weight of the latin Union. New and numerous emissions of the new rival called « azizi » were carried out in Paris, Berlin and Birmingham. The reform added to national discord. The Sultan ‘s oppo¬nents saw it as an abandoning of the
legal system, the public saw it as a manipulation of the coin ‘s rate. The turmoil incited the coin to [all. of his brother ill Marrakesh, Moulay Abd el -Haîid proclaimed the deposition of Moulay ‘Abd-el- ‘Aziz and imposed himself to lead the fight against the French troops landed in Casablanca. But once proclaimed Sultan, he had to compro¬mise with the French representative and sign the Protectorate Treaty on 30 March 1912. For all this, the striking of the hassani was not interrupted. Following Moulay ‘Abd-el’Aziz and Moulay ‘Abd-el-Hafid. Moulay youssef struck a new type of rival called « Youssoufi » as well as « Mouzounas » in bronze decorated with the Moroccan star. The series of riyals struck since Moulay elHassan I until Moulay Youssef was made up of 87 coins known as « Hassani ». On March 19 1920,following a serious monetary crisis linked to the rise in silver, the hassani was withdrawn. Shortly after, the Moroccan franc appeared whose production was assured by the Morocco state Bank. The frist notes began circulating on November 15 1920. Satelleite currency, the Moroccan franc evolved in the franc zone until disengagement on 28 December 1958, the day after Morocco’s independance. A new monetary era, this time contemporary was approaching. In terms of a break but also continuity.

Women’s dress from the ancient cities of Morocco

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Women’s dress from the ancient cities of Morocco

Knowledge of the traditional Moroccan costume has for a long time been characterized by cliches inherited from the folklore in this field. As soon as the image of feminine adornment is evoked, for example, one thinks instinctively of the caftan or the Izar, thus focusing on the ancient and Oriental origins that serve as references. Without pretending to completely clarify this question, we can offer here an over view of women ‘s costumes with the aim of seeing them in a more coherent way and becoming aware of the more accessible cultural func¬tions that determine them.

I would recommend to you the national collections preserved at Rabat’s Ethnographic Museum of the Oudaias. These cover a period running from the middle of the 19th century to the 1970s. They present a rather homogenous range out of which one can see their rich regional varieties as well as the originality of the accessories that are associated with traditional clothing. These are not necessarily what they appear to be; nor is elegance solely tied to life’s great social events, such as weddings and baptisms. They can be appreciated in the apparent carelessness headscarves are tied in daily life or the way materials and colors of ordinary caftans and « fouqiyas » are mixed. The two have made up an insepa¬rable duo for more than a century.
To better understand traditional cos¬tumes, one must make a distinction bet¬ween the urban and the rural. These two vast traditions come from the ancient cities called « Hadriay » (Fes, Meknes, Tetouan, Rabat and Sale), and from the regions of the Atlas, the Rif, the plains and the Sahara. We will give you here Just a brief presentation of the urban feminine costume.

Through the richness of its material and the diversity of its accessories, women’s clothing worn in the old cities reflected the fashions and tastes of the social group are whi¬ch wore them. The outer garment called « Haik » was uniformly the same, a cloak made of wool (or another ordinary material) in which women would drape them¬selves during their supervised outings. The inner garment on the contrary was the essential part of the wardrobe. Until the mid 19′ » century, the main garment was the caftan. One knows that it comes from Turkish origins, and that it was introduced in Morocco in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Its Persian etymology means « cuirass » and it is true that its long, collarless shape closed down the center by small passementerie-trimmed buttons reminds us of a cassock.
At the beginning it was worn by both sexes. Then men had to content themselves with broadcloth caftans. Later, it was definitely abandoned to women who along with personal taste and style varied its shape and the way it was worn. The range runs from the simple colored broadcloth covered by a thin, transparent material or « fouquiya » (literally what is on top) to the most refined silks and most prestigious brocades and velvets. For important occasions, they combined the refinement and transparency of veils and gauzes with sparkling adornments.

These were composed of neck laces made up of several strings of pearls (M’dejja) or with piercedgold ornaments enhanced by garnets, rubies from Fes and emeralds (Tazra).
In Fes, for instance, the Bencherifs, a family of weavers, gave their noble name to this fashion. It is typified by very loose-sleeved, silk caftans sprinkled with gold and silver specks. These were tied high at the waist by long brocaded belts (Hzam) with skilfully arranged geometrical patterns drawn on them. Rabat and Sale, faithful to their Andalusian traditions, were distinctive in their red, blue or purple velvets enhanced with gold galloons and passementerie which drew circular or helix patterns. The hems bordered with galloons gave to the ensemble a quasi-imperial sparkle. Accessories used all available resources.jewelry, embroide¬ry and all kind of other elements combined to highlight the whole.

Long veils (Abrouq and Kenbouch) of gold-laminated silk enhanced the way the velvets fell. These head coverings dropped to the waist where they were sometimes held under the belt. Made of velvet embroidered with gold or silver thread, the belt called « Mdomma” was quite different to the broca¬ded « Hzarn ». Finally, the shoes, whose upper front part was in embroidered velvet, were called « Cherbil ».
In another connection, jewish women during ceremonies wore a combination of clothing called « lkessoua lekbira », literally « full or formal dress » This was made of a gold thread embroidered dickey and vest with a flared skirt hemmed with golden galloons and fan-shaped on the bottom. The sleeves (Kmamat) in light fabric were independent of the ensemble and were affixed on the shoulders to cover the arms and forearms to the wrist. Finally, the heeled shoes were in black or purple velvet embroi¬dered with golden thread.

To end this tour, let us visit the northern city of Tetouan that effectively mixed Turkish influences by way of Algeria with its Andalusian heritage. It gave us beautiful and elegant velvet and silk caftans that accentua¬ted the slenderness of the waist and allowed the material of the dress to flare. These were worn with a matching vest enhanced with helix braids in gold or silver

Many of these costumes were magnifi¬cently visualized by the genius of the French painter Delacroix in the 19th century. Rediscovered thanks to ethnographic research, they represent today an inestimable patrimony for Moroccan museums that continue in this way to enrich and to develop their collections

Moroccan Decorative Arts

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Moroccan Decorative Arts

At the crossroads of Eastern Arabia and the Western Mediterranean, represented by Andalucía, Morocco’s rich history has given its art a par¬ticular luster. It has been inspi¬red by the artistic traditions that preceded it, namely Greco-Roman, Byzantine, Visigothic,Berber and Central Asian.
The major components of Moroccan decorative art are mainly linked to traditional architecture. It is architecture both refined and ornamen¬tal, characterized by its wealth of decorations in all fields of arts and crafts. Mosques, palaces, gardens, medersas or religious schools, interior deco¬ration, plates and dishes, materials, these are all witnesses of an exceptional know-how and an incomparable talent in decorative terms. Zelliges or tiles, tadlakt, finely elaborate woodwork and calligrapby are the pillars supporting this abundance of riches.

The art of zellige (square enameled clay tiles) has been inspired by Byzantine mosaics, itself influenced by Italian marquetry and by Andalucian azulejos or glazed tiles. In the 10th century, the new art of enameled ceramics appeared. These were not the traditionally uniform pieces of a centimeter square, but diversely shaped pieces. Right up to today, they were strictly produced using the same process and are made by the deft hand of the craftsman or zlaygiyya.

Woodworking as well comes down to us from ancient traditions, particularly Eastern and Andalucian. It developed around the 12′ » century, under the influence of the Merenids. The forests of the different regions of Morocco, particularly those of the Atlas, gave birth to this art that today is so prized by the nation’s great families to decorate their homes. Woodworking, whether painted, sculpted or turned, enhances the friezes, the wall panels or even the mouchara¬biehs or engraved wood.
Another characteristic process of Moroccan decorative arts is that of stucco. Unlike the decorative work in plaster used in western countries that are produced according to a molding technique, here in Morocco it is sculpted and shaped.
Moroccan decorative art, however, is not only composed of zelliges, wood and plaster. Other noble materials are used as well, like tadlakt, a wall covering made of clay and limestone sand, tiles and forged iron.

All this gives richness to Moroccan art that has been perpetuated from generation to generation. The passing on of talent characterizes the decorative arts. The master craftsmen have long handed down from father to son an art that becomes fully-blown in the ornamentation in the villas of the rich, in palaces, and in monuments. This know-how requires a lengthy apprentice¬ship that begins in childhood. Thanks to this faithful transmission, traditional art has been able to maintain its identity The Hassan II Masque is the most significant example of the talents of craftsmen who have perpetuated their ancestral techniques and the richness of Moroccan decorative art .