Nothing stops you in your tracks while wandering in and around Marrakech like this sight: a man turning wood with nothing more than a sharp blade and his feet! Yes, you may wince a bit looking at these pictures. We certainly did.
Wood turner in Marrakech medina working with his feet!
Moroccan woodturners are pros, though. And with skilled hands and strategic balance, they seem to be quite productive even with tourists looking on.
Chef Joanne Weir grabs a shot of a wood turner in the Marrakech medina.
Take this guy, for example. He places the wood on a pole, lays a knife on top, and spins a little make-shift lathe with — you’re seeing it correctly — only a foot or two! We watched. We clapped. And then we purchased freshly turned pieces of an art you don’t see often, if at all, in the U. S.
Later in Fes, we happened upon this workman who — everyday, no less — sits in this little box-like space in the medina and shapes combs out of natural bone. He, too, uses his feet to steady the piece of bone.
A craftsman in Fes uses his feet to shape bone into creative combs.
He carefully presses his foot against a large piece of bone while he cuts shapes such as whales, ducks, birds, etc. to top off his combs.
Bird comb made of bone and shaped with a workman’s foot: Fes, Morocco
In Morocco, most craftsmen we met or acknowledged with a head nod absolutely, positively didn’t want their picture taken. But the comb maker seemed genuinely enthralled when our guide asked if I could pose with him. So, here’s one of the happiest people I met in Morocco — a man who goes every day to his workplace, sits in what seems to me to be a cramped space and cranks out the finest examples of bone combs in creative shapes. A fine memory, for sure.
It’s a rare to find someone who not only allows photos but actually poses with a tourist!
For more posts on Morocco, take a look here.
And to see pictures of our journey, head to Flickr to take in the sights of this colorful country.
Thanks for traveling with us,
Bert and Rusha Sams
Great pictures of interesting wordworking. I know holding the subject steady is important, but I’ve never seen feet being used in the process-very interesting.
We were all mesmerized as we watched this man. Cannot believe the patience he has to do this every day, but he does. Thanks for taking a look!
Great post!!😊👍
Thanks! It was fascinating work, and I stood there for a long time just marveling at the man’s commitment and care not to get hurt.
If two hands are good, Rusha, it appears that two hand and a foot are better. Nice photo. 🙂 I expect you bought a comb after that! –Curt
It puts a whole new spin on the idea of immersing yourself in your work, I suppose! And, yes, I bought two combs but now that I’m home, I wish I had bought several for Christmas presents. Maybe I’ll ask Bert if we can just bop over and get a few more!!!
Laughing. Might make the combs a bit expensive! –Curt
What a great post. Thank You.
Thank you for taking a look. We were fascinated by the work of these craftsmen, but we also were amazed that they could do this work day in and day out. Now, that’s sticking to a job!