I visited Morocco this year and I've seen how this is made.
A guy literally sits there with a hammer and chisel and shapes each individual piece by hand. What's more amazing is that the people who do this are so skilled they pretty much bang out one perfect piece after another.
The Moroccan government is actively investing in preserving and promoting Moroccan crafts all over the world[1]. They helped design Walt Disney World Resort's Morocco Pavillon in Florida.
I remember going there in High School, and the Morocco part of Epcot was the only part I even remotely enjoyed. I wonder if the government's attention to detail played a part in that.
I haven't got a chance to visit Morocco, in India I once visited Mahabalipuram[1] which is famous for its stone art. There are shops where artist sell stone sculptures while working on the next piece right there.[2]
I bought a lamp shade from there[3], the pieces are hollow spheres with different kind of patterns chiseled out of single stone. You
put the lamp inside. They told me it takes at least a day or two to make one.
It's quite a feet indeed, especially on large surfaces areas. The Hassan II mosque is absolutely gorgeous and a testament to a long tradition of this artisan craft.
I've seen it make its way into Europe here and there as some other Moroccan styles have over the years, but virtually 100% of it is either made in a factory or worse, mere wallpaper.
If you go to Fez they mostly make all the stuff they sell by hand. There are the vendors here and there that import their stuff from china, but the ones that do make it by hand advertise as such, and they make the goods right in front of you.
A guy literally sits there with a hammer and chisel and shapes each individual piece by hand. What's more amazing is that the people who do this are so skilled they pretty much bang out one perfect piece after another.