by House of Aït Manos

• tabletop: Zellige tiles; table legs: steel
• handmade in Casablanca, Morocco
• approximate dimensions: L: 55 cm, W: 51 cm, Thickness: 11 cm, Weight 3.1 kg
• will have tiny imperfection and variation, as these are authentic, handmade Zellige

Editor's note:

To love Morocco is to be mesmerized by its intricate tilework. From the craftsmen that designed the tilework at landmarks such as the Royal Mansour Hotel, Yves Saint Laurent Museum, and Jardin Marjorelle, House of Aït Manos invites you to bring a piece of Morocco home through its Zellige-tiled tables. We love peppering these around our outdoor living spaces to add visual intrigue as we rest a tray of tea, or a bouquet of cut flowers.

Provenance: 

Zellige is a prized but dying art. It's know-how is passed from generation to generation through master craftsmen called maâlems. To make traditional zellige tiles, natural clay is mixed with water, hand-shaped, dried, and then kiln-fired, often using olive pits. Enamel glazing is then applied to the fronts of the tiles by hand. As with prized goods in other parts of the world (Champagne, Belgian linen), Morocco recently required that true zellige tiles be made from a clay without lime or iron, both of which can damage the tiles, and labeled accordingly. Because they're hand-molded, hand-cut, hand-glazed, no two Zellige are exactly the same. These variations are what adds to the Zelliges' charm. House of Aït Manos has mastered this ancient know-how born in Morocco in the 10th century, and combines traditional technique with technical innovations to bring forth their exclusive collections.