January 20, 2004

Marrakech


We went to a vizier’s palace today and saw room after room, courtyard after courtyard, of amazing tile work. Perhaps the most interesting tiles were the ones with calligraphy. This was the best example we’ve seen yet this trip. The words in Arabic are almost indecipherable because of the ways in which they overlap and tuck under the others. It really is more about art than function in this case, though still certainly

a commune with God. Palaces such as these are really the only places we have seen with art that has no explicit function. Though mosaics are found all over the place, they are often mere substitutes for walls, cement floors, or rugs.

There seems to be a very different distinction between high and low art here. I’m not sure the Moroccans would really think of any of their own art being what Westerners call “high” art. Almost every traditional craft is one of as much function as aesthetic value. The value of a piece seems also to be a reflection of the tradition and respect for age or wisdom (which are fairly synonymous here).

The other thing I found surprising was the degree to which the painted wood, in particular, retains its color. The guide said cedar wood had some sort of natural treatment to its wood that prevented the paint from flaking or fading.
We learned about the lives of wives versus concubines while in the palace. The Koran permits multiple wives, but only if one can love and treat all of them equally. It goes on to say that this is impossible for any man to achieve and not to bother, but that didn’t seem to deter the kings or viziers throughout the ages.