Nana's Lipstick 4x4

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Nana's Lipstick 4x4

Zellige Tiles

Nana's Lipstick 4x4

zellige tiles or zellij are an ancestral north African art. The tradition has been treasured from one generation to another and today only very skilled craftsmen can achieve these complex geometric mosaic works. Ideal for wall and floor coverings, but also for bathrooms, kitchen backsplash or even swimming pools, Moroccan tile has inspired many architects and designers to create custom original works.

How we make our Nana's Lipstick 4x4 zellige.

Zellige has been made in Morocco for over a 1000 years. Finding the highest quality clay is extremely important to produce the finest Zellige tile. The region of Fez has one of the best quality clays in Morocco.

The clay is soaked in water until it reaches a soft texture. Once the clay is soft enough to handle it is filtered by hand.

After filtering, a skilled craftsmen flattens the clay by hand into squares. This part is very important because the clay must be compact with no air bubbles in it.

Raw Zellige clay tiles are then allowed to dry outdoors, like adobe. Most tile production takes place in the summer, early fall and spring.

After the clay is shaped, molded and flattened, it is kept and stored in a cool dry place to be readied for a first bake.

All fired up from clay to kiln.

After the uncured Zellige tiles are dried another skilled craftsmen applies a glaze to the top of the tile.

The Zellige tiles are now placed in natural, wood fired kilns. In traditional moroccan Zellige kilns, heat circulates unevenly, resulting in slightly different tones and colors for each tile. It is these imperfections that make Moroccan tiles so unique and beautiful.

The end product is a 4"x4" tile with remarkable texture and tone, unlike any other tile on earth.

A tile apart what makes zellige so extraordinarily special.

Zellige making is considered an art in and of itself. This art is transmitted from generation to generation by master craftsmen. There are three craftsmen needed for Zellige. The first selects the tiles and then draws the shape desired and passes the tile to the next craftsmen.

The most important part of this entire process is the third craftsmen, also called the master craftsmen. He specializes in cutting the excess clay and performs precision cutting. The end results are an incredible variety of shaped pieces that are assembled to create intricate Zellige patterns. The possibilities are unlimited.