Day334: Marrakech “Quiet Elegance”

In Morocco, many different spices are used in cooking, and their colorful tones bring vibrancy to everyday life in the city. Many shops transfer them into containers or find creative ways to display them, but this shop was selling them almost as they were, in sack-like wholesale bags. They simply folded the edges of the bags neatly and covered them with various fabric covers. It’s easy, the bags can be sealed quickly, and yet it looks remarkably elegant. The single-colored fabrics, arranged side by side like a painter’s palette, make the monochrome spices stand out even more. (Although some colorful covers were used as well.)
I came to feel that elegance is not about decorating with expensive things, but about the sense of care that can be felt even in the smallest details.

モロッコでは料理に様々なスパイスが使われ、カラフルな香辛料が街の日常を彩っている。多くのお店で容器に移し替えたり工夫をしているが、このお店では土嚢袋のような業務用の袋ほとんどそのままで売っていた。袋のふちをきれいに折り、さまざまな布地の袋を上からかぶせるだけ。楽だし、すぐに封もでき、それだけですごく上品に見える。絵の具のパレットのように並べられる単色のスパイスを単色の布が余計に引き立てる。（一部カラフルな民族模様の袋も使われていたが。）
上品というのは高級なもので設えることではなく、細かなところまで行き届いた配慮が感じられるということなのだと思った。