Keeping a Fragile Art Alive, From Meknès to the World
Hicham Essaidi is a fourth-generation master of damascening, the intricate art of inlaying fine silver, gold, or copper threads into steel. He has made it his mission to preserve and promote this endangered craft in Morocco and around the world. His work is recognised under UNESCO’s safeguarding of traditional metalworking skills, and it now travels globally through exhibitions and teaching, even as only a handful of artisans still practise damascening in Meknès.
A Heritage Forged in Andalusian Exile
Damascening in Morocco is deeply tied to the legacy of Al-Andalus. From the 14th century onward, Muslim and Jewish artisans fleeing Christian advances in Iberia brought their metalworking knowledge to cities like Meknès, where the technique took root and evolved. By the late 19th century, Meknès even hosted a dedicated school for the craft inside the Dar Jamaï museum, producing objects that are still admired today.
The Essaidi family stands as a living extension of that lineage. Described as “custodians of this expertise,” they have excelled in creating damascened works across generations, earning awards in national and international salons, a testament to both technical mastery and artistic distinction.
The Craft: Precision, Patience, Pride
Damascening is deceptively simple to describe and extraordinarily demanding to execute. Artisans engrave fine grooves into a darkened steel or patinated bronze base, then hammer in threads of precious metal to form calligraphic, floral, and geometric motifs that can amount to hundreds of metres of wire on a single piece. The result, called a damasquinure, is a shimmering pattern locked permanently into the metal surface.
Hicham Essaidi specialises in this exacting process, inlaying fine silver into steel with a discipline he sums up in three words: precision, patience, and pride. He began his career in 1990 and started teaching in 2000, moving from practitioner to guardian of the tradition.
A Fragile Tradition in a Global Spotlight
Today, Meknès is one of the last places on earth where damascening survives as a living profession, with only around nine master artisans still working in the city. The Essaidi family workshop stood for 80 years in Kobbat Al Souk, the historic artisan quarter where the craft’s heartbeat remains strongest.
UNESCO’s recognition of metal engraving and related techniques, including damascening, underscores both the cultural value and the vulnerability of these skills. In 2023, the arts of engraving on metals were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List, explicitly aiming to protect fragile chains of transmission as many master artisans age and cheap imports compete with handmade work. Morocco has further responded with a “Traditional Arts Treasures” program, partnering with UNESCO to fund apprenticeships in endangered crafts. The 2026 edition specifically highlights damascene metalwork from Meknès.
Teaching, Exhibiting, and Carrying the Craft Forward
Hicham now teaches at the School of Traditional Arts in Meknès, part of a state-run training programme supported by the Moroccan Ministry of Handicrafts. His stated aim is to ensure the craft lives on “today and in the future,” passing on techniques before they disappear.
At the same time, he has become a global ambassador for damascening. His works have been exhibited across Europe, Canada, Brazil, and Africa, bringing international attention to a tradition that many outside Morocco have never encountered. Through exhibitions and demonstrations, he positions damascening not only as a historical curiosity but as a contemporary art form with enduring relevance.
Why It Matters
Hicham Essaidi’s journey, from a family workshop in Meknès to international exhibition halls, captures the stakes of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. He is not merely making objects. He is maintaining a continuum that stretches from Andalusian refugees to modern apprentices, and from local souks to global audiences. In a world where entire crafts can vanish within a generation, his work, and UNESCO’s recognition of the broader metalworking tradition, offers a pathway for damascening to endure.
