(Series)
A day in the life of a Moroccan tannery worker – Meknes Tannery
Morocco is a land of wonder and distinct heritage. The 1000-year old tradition of leather dyeing all done by hand is one of them. Like a place frozen in time, tanning techniques in Morocco have remained unchanged since the 11th century.
Hides are soaked for a few days in vessels full of cow urine, quicklime, water and salt before being picked at and dried. Next they are sent to a different set of vessels filled with diluted pigeon excrement and water to be softened.
With nothing but their bare feet and hands, tanners work under the sun for long hours kneading the skins to their desired softness as well as with the final dying process. Men-only work literally inside the concrete vessels stomping the hides down into the dyes – like grapes at a winery.
They slather their legs in vaseline to ensure their skin doesn’t get dyed in the process – a hazard of the workplace. One of several…
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