Friday, February 22, 2008

Looking Upwards



Moroccan ceilings are very often elaborately decorated.
I used to think that they were painted in situ - like Michaelangelo did the Sistine Chapel.



But, in fact,they are painted at ground level and then put up later.
These first two pictures are from Dar Mimoun.



The last three pictures are from the Bahia Palace - where you can see wonderful examples of all sorts of painted surfaces. Here the shape of the lamp echoes the sklight.



Because there really aren't windows on to the outside world, it would a be a delight to look out through the roof.



There is a lot of painted cut plasterwork too.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lovely ceilings.

Paz

Elizabeth said...

Thanks, Paz!

Barrie said...

These are gorgeous! Wouldn't it be fun to do something decorative with our ceilings? Imagine the surprise of anyone who comes to visit my house! Actually, I think I'd start small...like in our little office or, even better, in the laundry room (where I spend far too much time!).

Isadora said...

The vibrant colors of the Arab world is fascinatingly delightful.

Thank you for visiting.

Marja said...

wow absolutely wonderful. I still have to look on the map where Marakesh is. I visited Marocco once on a day trip from Spain and was absolutely fascinated.

An Aesthete's Lament said...

I would love to see period photographs of the interiors of the Bahia Palace, when Edith Wharton visited General Lyautey (I think that is who was living there at the time). As for ceiling decorations, why not photograph a Moroccan ceiling in situ and BLOW THE PHOTO UP and wallpaper the ceiling of a room? How divine would that be?

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Sigh. I hate our boring ceilings! Especially at work with acoustical tile. Bleah.

Doesn't your neck get tired from always looking up at the beauty though?

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