Zellige fassi · Hand-cut
Every piece is cut by hammer, one at a time.
Zellige fassi is not a tile. It is enamelled terracotta from Fès, fired twice, then split by hand piece by piece by a maâlem working from memory, without a template. That is why no square metre is identical to the next — and it is exactly what your clients are buying.
We supply it by the square metre, as whole tiles or as shapes already cut and ready to compose. We also supply mesh-mounted panels when the site has no installer trained in zellige.
Photo · a finished zellige wall, wide view, raking light
How it is made
Six stages, two firings, and a hand that does not miss.
1
The clay
Grey clay from the Fès region, settled then kneaded. It is what gives zellige fassi its density and its frost resistance.
2
Shaping
The tile is hand-formed in a wooden frame, then dried in the shade. Never in the sun: it would crack.
3
First firing
In a traditional kiln fed with olive stones and wood shavings. The tile comes out biscuit-fired, matt, porous.
4
The glaze
Glaze applied by hand on one face only. The unevenness of the application makes the shading that industry cannot imitate.
5
Second firing
The glaze vitrifies. The final colour appears only on leaving the kiln — which is why we work from an approved sample.
6
The cutting
The maâlem lays the tile glaze-down and splits it with a cutting hammer. Each shape is obtained in a few strokes, with no measuring and no template.
Photo · the maâlem cutting, hammer in hand, chips on the floor
Photo · macro of the cut edge — this is the proof of handwork
Formats
Three ways to buy it, depending on who lays it.
Whole tile
The glazed tile, uncut. For installers who cut themselves, or for a simple chequerboard layout.
About 10 × 10 cm · thickness ~1.2 cm
Cut shapes
Pieces already split, delivered sorted by shape and by colour. For an installer trained in zellige, composing on site.
Sold by square metre of laid surface
Mounted panel
The pattern composed in the workshop and mounted on mesh. The site only has to glue it. This is the solution for hotels and tight schedules.
Made-to-measure panels, from your drawings
The shapes
The basic vocabulary. Everything else follows from it.
Zellige is composed like a language: a few elementary shapes, combined under a strict geometry, produce patterns of unlimited complexity. Here are the four found in almost every composition.
Square
The base of the chequerboard
Diamond
The turned square, which opens the star
Star
The heart of the classic pattern
Cross
What links the stars together
Photo · star-and-cross composition, straight on
Photo · a border or dado, in situ
The palette
Six traditional glazes. The colour only settles in the kiln.
WhiteThe oldest
Fès blueThe most requested
GreenColour of prayer spaces
SaffronThe brightest
EarthWarm, quiet
BlackFor lines and borders
One nuance to understand before ordering.
The glaze is applied by hand and fired with wood: two batches of the same colour are never strictly identical. That is the signature of zellige fassi, not a fault — but it means a project must be ordered in one go, from a single batch. We always approve a sample with you before production, and we keep that reference piece until delivery.
Ordering
What we need in order to quote.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Surface | In laid square metres, wall height and length. Allow 10 % cutting loss. |
| Format | Whole tile, cut shapes, or mesh-mounted panel. |
| Pattern | Chequerboard, star and cross, border, or a composition from your drawing. |
| Colours | One to six colours. Beyond three, sorting at the cutting stage lengthens the lead time. |
| Destination | Interior, exterior, floor, wall, or immersion — pools and hammams require a different installation. |
| Deadline | Allow 4 to 6 weeks of production for a standard project, longer above 100 m². |
On European compliance.
Hand-cut zellige does not fall under industrial ceramic tiling: its dimensions are not standardised and it does not carry CE marking under the standard applicable to series-produced tiles. For a public project or a public-access building in Europe, have the choice validated by your inspection body beforehand. We supply the batch's technical characteristics and a test sample on request.
Send us your drawings, we will quote.
Surface, pattern and colours are enough for a first range. Answer within one working day, sample shipped before any order.
Trade enquiries only. We do not sell to consumers.