Seventy-nine-year-old Abdelkader Ouazzani is the last brocade master in Fes, Morocco. Brocading is an artistic profession requiring the participation of the entire body; feet glide over the wooden pedals and arms and shoulders are engaged in a manner that looks like a conductor puppeteering an orchestra. Brocading is a process requiring deep concentration, meticulousness, and know-how; the original teachers were from the 13th century Merinid Sultans era. “It’s all a question of calculation. Each thread takes its path, like in mathematics,” says Ouazzani.
It takes an entire day to weave a meter of brocade.
While brocading is beautiful and Ouazanni’s fabrics sell to the “elite of the elite” for up to $560 per meter, this traditional art is in danger of being lost. It takes an entire day to weave a meter of brocade. So far Ouazzani has not found any interested apprentices. There were once other brocading craftsmen, however, they all passed away. It is possible to visit Ouazzani in his Fes medina workshop.