UNESCO has recognized a North African artist, Mohamed Amine Htiouich, for his great and fine skills in Metal Art. The 37-year-old Tunisian man now trains the next generation in this ancient art form.
He began engraving metal art skills when he was a teenager. He first tried his hands on copper, then silver and finally on gold, at his family’s workshop in the old medina of Tunis.
After two decades, he started teaching his skills to young minds in the art of cutting words or symbols into jewellery and household objects manually.
The craft was passed down to him from his father and he said, “I don’t want to see this tradition disappear. I’m afraid that one day, there will be no succession.”
Eventually, the intangible heritage list of UNESCO added the long-standing tradition last month. The traditional skill has been practised all over North Africa and the Middle East for centuries.
The artistic skill is getting recognised abroad, but local craftsmen regret that the art of metal engraving is undervalued at home and suffers from a lack of governmental support.
A Tunisian artist who helped get engraving nominated for the list, Imed Soula, says, “A UNESCO designation commits us to preserving this exceptional know-how.”
Soula also added that the local craftsmen were inspired by the aesthetic, religious and cultural references of their societies while creating the exquisite works.
There are many other metal engraving artists who work with fine skills and provide masterpieces to buyers. Chiheb Eddine Ben Jabballah, Mohamed Moumni and Abdelilah Mounir are among of those too.
These artisans train hundreds of engravers and it takes at least two years to polish the skills. The UNESCO designation helps them get their art appreciated on international and commercial levels and helps with tourism.
Being a resident of a popular tourist destination with renowned craftsmanship, the sale demand is not an issue in Morocco for Mohamed Moumni.
Each region has its own speciality, such as gold jewellery in Tlemcen and silver rings, necklaces and bracelets. Sometimes, the pieces of jewellery are also embellished with corals in Kabylia and Aures.