Thursday, August 7, 2008

Traditional Algerian crafts

I love all the traditional Algerian/North African handicrafts - there's just too much that I want to buy! We went to a market this week for a browse and there was just so much to see and at such reasonable prices.

The traditional clay dinner services were gorgeous; the one I want is like the orange and lime ones in the pic below but in turquoise. The plate with a pyramid lid is for serving cous cous and the lidded bowl beneath that is for shorba (soup).


The clay plates in the photo below are tagines for baking traditional Algerian semoline bread, matlou'. There is the type with a plain base or the spotted one has a patterned base so the underneath of the bread comes out with a nice pattern.

Clay couscousieres... the bottom part is for making the stew and the top part is a steamer for the couscous, it has holes in it.

Beautiful, intricate woollen woven rugs:

Random tiling that you see around the place on walls and even around the outside tap in my in-laws house. This was just a tiled area on a wall and you buy this sort of thing framed to hang at home:

6 comments:

Jayne said...

I love the clay pots & serving dishes - they're just so much more appealing than mass produced stuff. I bought some beautiful stuff in the Magic Kingdom, but couldn't take it home :-(

Anonymous said...

Salam,
You sure are making the most of your holidays,mashallah.
Love the pottery. Take care, Ines.

Anonymous said...

as salamu alaykum sis,

I love them too!And they are the best thing to buy as gifts to take back home!You are sure ppl will like them subhanAllah!

take care!

Rainbow In The Grey Sky said...

I lkie sster but heavey and fragile to carry aboard, mind you i need a cous cousier at the mo.

Umm Ibrahim said...

Jayne: It must've been quite a bit more expensive in KSA than here in Algeria. I think the price for a whole dinner service with serving plates etc was around 175Riyal here!

Ines: I tell you there have been plenty of excruciatingly boring days of doing nothing and going nowhere!

Um AlMujahid: It's getting it home intact that's the problem though. :(

Rainbow: Exactly. :(

Unknown said...

Oooh. I want a tajine. I am waiting for the yearly bazaars when the international tables sometimes bring some from Algeria or Morrocco. Surely not as cheap as getting it there at the source. Lovely pottery. So hard to travel with.