Tag: Pottery of Fes

The Art of Moroccan Pottery & Zellij Tile-Design

If you are an artist, a fan of international fine art and pottery or an educator then traveling to Morocco to discover the Moroccan Art of Pottery & Zellij Tile Design is for you. Morocco is historically known for its Moroccan tradition of zellij tile design and hand thrown pottery. Zellij tile is elegant and also decorative as it has a richness of color and pattern. Zellij is the art of hand cut geometric and miomorphic mosaic design. This is one of the highest forms of artistic expression in Moroccan culture and the Islamic world. In the recent years, zellij tile has inspired interior designers and gained momentum as an international design trend. Morocccan Zellij tile contains many layers of meaning artistically and scientifically that can be found in its repetitive mathematical patterns. The art of zellij flourished during the Hispano-Moresque period and then appeared in Morocco in the 10th century with nuances of varied white and earth toned colors. The art of zellij remained very limited until Morocco’s Merinid Dynasty. zellij then gained further important in the 14th century. Then in the 17th century shades of cobalt blue, emerald green and bright yellow were introduced. Older enamels and natural colors started to be utilized in the 20th century.