i. From the tea glass to the openwork lantern

The emblematic object is the bubbled tea glass: a small thick cylinder with hundreds of trapped bubbles, whose base is slightly wider than the top, perfect for drinking scalding tea without burning the hand. It is one of the most produced objects of Moroccan craft — and one of the most recognisable in the world.

Gallery

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Verre soufflé
Blown glass To be replaced · workshop
Géométrie translucide
Translucent geometry Riad stained glass
Verres à thé
Tea glasses Blue, green, yellow

Video · The gesture in motion

to be replaced
Blown glass Placeholder · to be replaced by a YouTube / Vimeo embed (FR · AR · EN subtitles)

Then comes the lantern: blown glass set in an openwork metal structure (brass or tin), forming an object halfway between brassware and glasswork. The starry motifs projected onto the walls have become the visual signature of Moroccan evenings.

1200 °C
Glass melting
100%
Recycled glass
Essaouira
Capital
20th c.
Modern revival
Good to know

Modern origin

Blown glass is not uniquely Moroccan: Beni Mellal and Essaouira have more modern traditions (20th century) born of exchanges with the south of France. The piece remains artisanal because the blower is alone before the pipe — no robot has replaced the gesture.

Sources

  1. Ministry of Tourism — Strategy 2021–2025 — https://mtaess.gov.ma/fr/artisanat/