Zellige of Fez

Zellige art is an art probably derived from Byzantine mosaic made of colored stones and smalts. But zellige is a more specifically artisanal covering due to the modesty of its origins and the skill required to work it. They are in fact terracotta tiles measuring 10 x 10 centimeters covered with enamel. These tiles are cut manually using heavy hammers (menqach) which contrast with the delicacy of the pieces obtained. These pieces, through a skillful play of pullze, compose a pattern which obeys the traditional rules of regulatory lines, a discipline of all Islamic arts. See André PACCARD.