From a small village
in southern Morocco.

I first travelled to Morocco 24 years ago, where I met the artisans who create these incredible pieces. Watching them work with such natural skill and generations of knowledge was something that will always stay with me.

In Tamegroute, a small desert village on the edge of the Sahara in southern Morocco, pottery has been crafted using traditional methods for centuries. The clay is sourced locally, shaped entirely by hand, and fired in ancient earthen kilns that have changed very little over time.

I've been sourcing directly from the same artisan families for more than a decade, and every piece that arrives still carries the same character, imperfections and beauty that first captivated me all those years ago.

On the beauty of
imperfection —

What drew me to Tamegroute wasn't that it was perfect. It was the opposite. Every piece carries the fingerprints of the person who made it. The glaze runs differently, the shape isn't machine-perfect, the colour changes from one firing to the next.

The process,
made by hand

Each piece is very labour-intensive. The clay is dug from the earth and cleaned before it is kneaded by hand or foot until it's workable. That process alone can take days. The pieces are completely hand-moulded, then left to dry naturally in the desert air. Too fast and they crack. Too slow and they can become misshapen. They are then fired in the ground and glazed twice.

The glaze recipe varies from family to family. It's a combination of silica, copper oxide, which gives the varying green and mustard tones, manganese, local minerals and ash. The kilns aren't easy to control, which actually gives such exciting results and characteristics. Those results are the very thing that identifies a genuine Tamegroute piece, and makes each one its own unique piece of art.

(i).
The Clay
Dug from the earth, cleaned, then kneaded by hand or foot until workable. The process alone can take days.

(ii).
The Form
Completely hand-moulded, then left to dry naturally in the desert air. Too fast and they crack.

(iii).
The Glaze
Silica, copper oxide, manganese, local minerals and ash. Fired in the ground. Twice.

About the Artists —

The artisans live a fairly modest life in remote areas, carrying out work passed down through many generations. They share responsibilities with multiple family members. Tourism and demand for these pieces have created more stability for the artisans producing them.

Traditionally, the pieces aren't signed. Historically they were considered a community craft and collaboration. Often nothing more than the trace of the firing process is left on the underside.

We try to keep reordering continuously with our artisan partners, to support a reliable income. The artisans we work with have come to feel like family, and we love how we've grown together as a team over the last 10 to 15 years.

My favourite pieces —
I keep coming back to.

We have an incredible large piece in this collection which almost feels architectural in its structure. It reminds me of modernist sculptures from the 1950s and 1960s. That said, I will never see enough of the footed henna bowls. I love them styled in a home. They're so unique and add a beautiful organic feel to any space.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

xx Sallyanne

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