The art of Moroccan hand hammered trays

 Dear readers anyone who has read my current posts and seen my pins on my pinerest , can tell that my current fetish is everything Moroccan. So you can imagine how elated I was when I found this beautiful hand hammered tray in the local market.. This vintage Moroccan metal tray is hand-tooled and hand-hammered with ornate design!!!! Not just that it is beautiful and made in Morocco but what excites me is the process of the art of hand hammering metal..

The art of hand hammered metal is an ancient one which transforms metal sheets into unique pieces with fabulous texture.The leather covered metal hammer is used to hit the metal sheet mainly copper or aluminium making a rhythmic sound..It is said that thickness of  the metal shows the artistic skill of the craftsmen..

The process of making a hand hammered piece involves first getting the shape..then welding the parts together and then heating them in a furnace.. giving it a acid wash to remove the marks of welding and then in the end the items are hand hammered with small indentations..unique patterns are created as per designs or skill of the craftsman..Traditionally the entire process of shaping and beating of the metal was done by hand which took several days to weeks to finish one utensil.  Now a days  some initial processes are standardized and mechanized..

This art of fine hammering of copper is also seen in India.. The copper work by Indian copper smith is an amazing art which is dying slowly due to modernization.. 

Images: @ my home and subject to copyright!