Moroccan Brass Hand-Washing Set, 100 cm Standing Tass by Mehdi Ba.

A Moroccan hand-washing set, or tass, is a standing brass basin used to offer guests water to wash their hands before a meal. This one is 100 cm tall with a 45 cm basin, hand-engraved in Marrakech by Mehdi Ba. You fill the kettle by hand, pour, and the basin catches the water. A brass tap on the side drains it into a bowl or bucket. There is no plumbing and nothing to install.

How it actually works

It works by hand, start to finish. Nothing connects to a water supply.

1. Fill. Lift the lid on the kettle at the top and fill it with clean water. It holds .
2. Pour. Lift the kettle by its handle and pour over your guest's hands. The spout gives a controlled stream rather than a rush.
3. Catch. The basin below collects the water. It holds before it needs emptying.
4. Drain. Open the brass tap on the side of the basin and let it run into a bowl, a jug or a bucket placed underneath.

That is the whole mechanism. The tap is functional, not decorative.

Where a 100 cm standing piece goes

At 100 cm it stands about waist height on most adults, so it reads as furniture rather than as an object on a surface.

Beside the dining table. Its original use. Guests wash before sitting down, which turns the first minute of a dinner into something people remember. It does not go on the table.

In an entryway or hallway. It occupies vertical space and almost no floor, which suits narrow halls where furniture will not fit. The weighted base means it does not need a wall.

As a standing piece in a living room. Used without water, as a brass sculpture with a working mechanism.

Made by hand in Marrakech

Mehdi Ba. works in the old medina of Marrakech and has been practising brass work for eight years, with a team of four. Each set is shaped from brass sheet and then engraved by hand, which is why the pattern sits slightly differently on every piece and the density of the engraving varies across a single surface.

Kilimy works with independent makers. We do not own workshops. Mehdi keeps of what you pay for this piece, and the figure is published above the fold rather than described in general terms.

The tradition it comes from

Offering water to a guest before a meal is a hospitality practice found across Morocco and much of the wider region. Pouring for someone rather than directing them to a bathroom is the point of it: the host serves the guest.

Materials and finish

Engraving is cut by hand, so no two sets carry an identical pattern and dimensions vary by a few millimetres. That comes from hand production and is not a defect.

Questions about the hand-washing set

Does it need plumbing or a water connection?

No. Nothing connects to a water supply and nothing needs installing. You fill the kettle by hand and drain the basin through the tap into a container you place underneath.

Where does the water go after washing?

Into the basin below, which catches it. When you are finished, open the brass tap on the side and let it drain into a bowl or bucket. Empty that into a sink.

Is the tap real or decorative?

Real. It opens and closes and is how you empty the basin.

How much water does it hold?

The kettle holds and the basin holds . For a dinner of six to eight guests, one filling of the kettle is usually enough.

Will it tip over?

The base is weighted and flares to , and the whole set weighs . It stands freely on a hard floor without support.

Does it arrive assembled?

Can I actually use it, or is it decorative?

Both. It is a working set and every part functions. Many owners use it for guests at dinner and leave it standing the rest of the time.

Does the brass tarnish, and how do I clean it?

How tall is it exactly?

100 cm, or about 39 inches, from the floor to the top of the kettle handle. The basin is 45 cm across, about 17.7 inches.

Who made this one?

Mehdi Ba., in the old medina of Marrakech. Scan the Origin Passport in your parcel to see his workshop.

Will I pay customs or import duties?

You might be subject to additional VAT or import taxes depending on your shipping address. check our additional taxes/duties page for more information.