Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956, but still maintains close trading ties to the rest of Europe. The French influence is still evident in street names and the secondary language used in everyday life.
Nabeul and Jerba are two Tunisian cities that are at the heart of the national craft of pottery. In 148 BC, artisans were already utilizing the potter’s wheel and in the seventeenth century, Tunisia was flooded with Muslim Spanish influence. Today, all around the city, shops are decorated in multicolored tiles and oven “humps” are seen all around the town where crafts are fired.
The official unemployment rate in Tunisia is 30 percent, but the number is even higher for youths. The 52 artisans that Le Souk Ceramique employs are able to provide for their families (and in some cases, even their extended family members too!). This helps to create some stability in a region that has been upset by the Arab Spring, terrorist attacks, and jobs lost to the decline in tourism due to these events.
Since 1997, Le Souk Ceramique has been producing all of their products freehand at their studio in Nabeul, from clay to glaze. Le Souk sources white clay from Portugal for most ceramics, but also uses a separate mix high in mica, quartz and iron for their tagines, to allow for stovetop and oven cooking.
Each line and dot on these Le Souk mugs are hand-painted by an experienced local painter and bisque maker.
The whole team works together to complete a single piece and the results are microwave and dishwasher safe ceramics that you can feel great about using. All of the painted designs on Le Souk’s pieces are unique and copyrighted.
In the last few years, Le Souk has expanded into making kitchen tools and cutting boards using olive wood. Special and noteworthy, Le Souk does not maintain direct online selling and products are generally exclusive to mid-sized retailers with existing relationships to the company.
If you can’t make it to Tunisia, Le Souk posts videos showing all of their products being made and full tours of their studio.
Post by Barbara Lee.
Barbara is a world traveler who is passionate about sustainable food systems, responsible consumerism, and holistic living. Her professional background and interests include writing, cooking, non-profit work, and eco-conservation.
