History of Moroccan Zellige
History of Moroccan Zellige
From the medinas of Morocco to the world
“The word zellige comes from Arabic al-zulaycha — meaning little polished stone. A tradition born in Morocco, perfected over centuries.”
Definition
The word zellige comes from Arabic al-zulaycha that means little polished stone. This word is sometimes written zillij or zellij. This ornamental technique is typical of Maghrebi architecture: how to assemble fragments of glazed terracotta tiles of different colours to create a geometric pattern. Sherds used are sometimes so thin that it is a true ceramic inlay.
Why little polished stone? Because the purpose was to imitate North Africa Greco-Roman mosaics, not by assembling pieces of polished marble (tesserae), but fragments of colored earthenware tiles. It is obvious that this requires less effort to cut a ceramic tile than polishing pieces of marble from distant sources.
The word zellige therefore shares the same etymology with the word azulejo used in Spain and Portugal.
Islamic Art and Geometry
Representation of human beings or animals has often been forbidden in Islamic art. This explains the development of this decorative art governed by geometry. Basic geometrical shapes such as squares, diamonds, triangles, stars, crosses, and other polygons are combined together according to strict mathematical patterns. Thanks to their complementarity, they form patterns that intersect and are repeated endlessly.
Creating zellige patterns is an art that requires expertise in mathematics and geometry. Many books highlight the rules used and their symbolism.
The Manufacturing Process
Zellige manufacturing is a work of patience and precision that mobilizes a large and experienced workforce. Terracotta tiles are first glazed on one side. The Persians during the 9th century discovered that tin oxide can turn opaque the glaze of earthenware. This opaque tin glaze allows the manufacture of coloured tiles with the same metallic pigments used to colour glass.
Cutting tiles is done in 3 steps:
- The drawing with a brush on the glazed tile of the geometric pattern (square, star, triangle, diamond, etc.)
- The manual cutting of the form using a sharp hammer (menqach)
- The bevelling of edges with a smaller hammer
The final design is prepared by zellige masters who detail on a drawing how to assemble the shapes and colours. The cut shards are combined face down on a smooth floor, with the finest possible joints. When assembly is completed, all the tesserae are fixed by mortar in which iron rods are sealed to ensure solidity. Once the mortar is dry, the plate is raised and fixed on the walls.
