Lots of the ‘amber’ you’ll see in the
souqs is plastic. The genuine article
will have a faint incense smell when
you light a match near it, and a slightly
waxy feel.Not all that glitters is gold in Morocco, since Berbers traditionally believe gold to be the source
of evil. You may see some jewellers with magnifying glasses working a tricky bit of gold filigree,
but most gold you see in the souqs is imported from India and Bali. Sterling will be marked with
925, and is often sold by weight rather than design. Morocco’s mining operations are more
concerned with phosphates and fossils than with precious gems, but you will see folkloric dowry
jewellery and headdresses with semiprecious stones, including coral, agate, carnelian and
amber.
But Moroccan mâalem s don’t need precious materials to
create a thing of beauty. Ancient ammonite and trilobite fossils
from Rissani make fascinating prehistoric amulets, and striking
Berber fibules (brooches) in silver are Tiznit’s speciality.
Layered wood, nickel silver and brightly coloured enamel make
groovy cocktail rings in Marrakesh, and desert Tuareg
talismans in leather and silver are fitting gifts for a man of the
world.Woodwork
The most pleasingly aromatic area of the souq is the woodworkers’ area, with scents of
orangewood, cedar, lemonwood and pine rising from the curls of wood carpeting the floors of
master carvers’ workshops. These are the mâalem s responsible for those ancient carved,
brass-studded cedar doors you’ve been obsessively photographing (don’t worry, everyone does
it), and those carved cedar muqarnas (honeycomb-carved) domes that cause wonderment and
neck cramps in Moroccan palaces. Tetouan, Meknès and Fez have the best reputations for
carved wood ornaments, but you’ll see impressive woodwork in most Moroccan medinas.
JUST YOU TRY IT
Mâalem s with saintly patience or a devilish sense of humour may invite you to try your hand at their craft, and you’ll never
know how many thumbs you have until you try to mimic the acute hand-eye coordination required to work that loom, leather
awl or chisel. To learn how it’s done, artisans’ associations offer workshops, and many guesthouses can arrange sessions
with local mâalem s.You may not be able to take an entire building with you, but you might find carved wood
architectural salvage at Bab el-Khemis in Marrakesh. For the gourmets on your gift list, hand-
carved orangewood harira (lentil soup) spoons are small ladles with long handles that make
ideal tasting spoons. Cedar is used for ornate jewellery boxes and hefty chip-carved chests
sure to keep the moths at bay. The most prized wood is thuya wood, knotty burl from the roots
of trees indigenous to the Essaouira region that is now endangered – buy from artisans’
associations that practise responsible harvesting. Lutes, banjos and guitars are carved from
woods chosen not for looks, but for their resilience in withstanding an all-night Gnawa lila (jam
session).