Meet the artisans: Ceramics from Safi

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Artisans > Ceramics from Safi

Ceramics from Safi

Safi with its large canning factories is not the most beautiful coastal town, but it is home to some of the most beautiful pottery made in Morocco. Even though, the countryside around Safi is beautiful.

The process of making ceramics hasn't changed much in last several hundred years. The kilns may now be fired with gas rather than wood, but the process is still hugely labour intensive.

Clay based rocks are broken into small pieces and soaked in water to soften the clay this is then sieved to remove stones and left in the sun to dry to a useable consistancy.

The clay is then thrown by hand into various items and left to dry in the sun. If the items are to be carved, it is done at this stage.

Moroccan Ceramics: Hand throwing tagines

Pottery is then fired to a 'biscuit' stage ready for painting and glazing. The painting is all done by hand with patterns done from memory. No two items will be identical.

The pottery is finally fired at a higher temperature and the items are left to cool in the kiln before being taken out and checked.

They are then all wrapped in paper and boxed to be taken to the container for shipping to us.

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