Wood craftsmanship In Morocco, is an ancestral heritage that is perpetuated thanks to the creativity of the craftsmen and especially to their know-how.
The manufacturing related to wood is very diversified, it ranges from decorative objects and accessories to luxury decoration such as luxury carpentry, dressing and wall decoration.
The art of wood was among the first components of the traditional Moroccan architecture known by the beauty of its mosques and palaces and by a know-how requested even internationally.
VARIETY
Several varieties of wood are used:
Thuja: A special and luxurious wood that grows mainly in the region of Essaouira, dark red in color, speckled with groups of small dark brown dots and sometimes with golden veins, particularly used by craftsmen in marquetry. It is recognizable by its exotic smell and is in great demand and is becoming increasingly rare.
Ebony : Very dense wood, dark brown and shiny.
Mahogany : Pale pink to red wood, fragrant, durable and easy to work with and very used in decoration.
Cedar: A very distinctive wood with a delicate odor and resistant to temperature differences. It can be used in swimming pools, bathrooms and even jacuzzis.
Lemon: Odorless and non-oxidizing wood, used for kitchen utensils.
TECHNIQUES
The techniques of woodworking differ according to the object: we distinguish: turning, inlaying, painting and carving:
Painted wood: The technique called “Azzawaq” the craftsman paints multiple colors of Berber, floral or other motifs on the wood polished and prepared in advance.
Turned wood: The technique called “AT Kharrat”. The tools of the craftsman consists of a manual lathe “Lamkharta” a bow and a chisel (steel chisel used to engrave), and uses various types of wood such as ebony, lemon or other like cedar.
The carved wood: “Annaqach”, craftsman who uses the technique of carving various species of wood as the cedar most used.
Inlaid wood (Marquetry): Inlaying of wood with bone fragments and a silver metal wire by the “Annaqach” marker.
Techniques and know-how that give birth to true masterpieces.
In order to perpetuate this ancestral art and preserve this great wealth, the School of Arts and Crafts of Tetouan ensures the training of craftsmen into true masters of this art.