Business
Antique dealers: The passion for preserving fragments of History…
Hunting for bargains is a journey through time. Each item has a story told with passion by the antique dealers. Cramped, this market is aimed at discerning connoisseurs.
Along the narrow, irregularly paved alleys of Souk Ould Mina in Hay Hassani, one would not suspect the existence of these little Ali Baba caves where one feels transported through time and where eras, styles, shapes, and colors intertwine.
Their walls are laden with stories and each object has a story that the master of the place hastens to tell. The air is thick with the smell of old wood and patinated leather, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
As soon as you enter, your eyes are immediately drawn to the profusion of objects piled on shelves, on tables, or directly on the floor.
Fine porcelain vases sit alongside old books with leather bindings, carved wooden furniture, porcelain dinnerware sets, chandeliers, statues in bronze, copper, or wood. Guided by the antique dealer through the narrow passages of the shop, one discovers eras, characters, and the love of the dealer who has spent his life collecting these treasures.
The passion of the owners of these shops explains that the profession of antique dealer is much more than a simple trade. “It is a constant quest for discoveries, a meticulous search to find rare and authentic pieces,” explains one of the antique dealers of Souk Ould Mina.
The sources of supply for this market are very varied. We can mention inheritances and legacies. “Antique dealers buy in Morocco from families liquidating family objects and jewelry,” says Hadj Ahmed, antique dealer on Mustapha Maâni street, who proudly unfurled on the table an old belt embroidered with gold threads that he just bought from heirs coming from Fes.
A purchase that cost him 50,000 dirhams and that he did not hesitate to pay because “it is a unique piece that will easily find a buyer.” And even if that were not the case, Hadj does not worry, “because I am passionate and it does not bother me to keep them for some time in the shop before selling them.”
Besides inheritance liquidations, sourcing is done in the medinas and souks in the cities of Marrakech, Fès, Essaouira, or Rabat, auctions, imports from France, Italy, and Spain, or demolitions or renovations of houses and riads.
“When there are demolitions or renovations, we can recover zelliges and tiles. We can also recover furniture, paintings, carpets, lighting fixtures, and ceramics,” says Meriem Chaouki, architect in Rabat.
Price according to the age and authenticity of the piece
The diversity of sourcing explains the variety of the offer. You find everything with the antique dealers: treasures of Moroccan heritage, naive painters’ canvases, orientalist paintings, rare weavings, Moroccan silverware, oil lamps from the High Atlas, bridal belts, amber and amazonite necklaces, gold and silver bracelets.
Furniture from France dating from the 15th, 16th, or 12th centuries. Unique and timeless pieces whose price is set according to several criteria that enhance them, including authenticity and age, origin and provenance, state of conservation, and rarity.
For an antique dealer of Souk Ould Mina, “the older a piece is, the more its value increases. If it is linked to a historical era and well preserved and restored, its price can only go up.” And he adds, “rarity also determines the price level. Currently, I am looking for a painting by Chaibia for one of my clients who is ready to pay a high price.”
At Souk Ould Mina, prices range from 10 to 100,000 dirhams. A range revealing the diversity of objects sold. For antique dealers, these objects and pieces are priceless. And they are even attached to them. “I do not rush to close sales, because I feel a bit sad to part with a piece (laughs). Sometimes, clients come back several times before I give in,” says one antique dealer. Her profession has allowed her to discover that “this market is unique. The objects are full of history and the clientele is very particular.”
It should be noted that in these shops, there is no crowd and there reigns a “religious” and respectful silence, as if clients feared disturbing the objects being contemplated. Often, according to antique dealers, the same client comes three to four times before deciding to buy.
The profile of the clientele is varied: collectors, art lovers, lovers of the old, or architects or interior decoration professionals. “Indeed, we work a lot with architects and interior decorator architects. The latter come with their clients or alone to find the piece(s) sought,” says Khadija Afifi, antique dealer in Rabat. And Meriem Chaouki adds: “Our clients are inspired by precise styles and follow trends. This is the case, for example, of people who travel a lot or who studied abroad. Thus, we have clients in Casablanca or Marrakech who want Palm Springs style houses. A modernist trend. While others are rather retro.” It is clear that antique enthusiasts do not just hunt for bargains to decorate, but to travel through time…
