Embroidery
At Madu, many of our embroidered pieces are created in collaboration with Threads of Hope, a social enterprise that supports refugee women in Cairo. Threads of Hope provides a free two-month intensive training program in embroidery, after which women are offered home-based opportunities. Each stitch is both an act of skill and livelihood, preserving traditional motifs while introducing contemporary designs that connect heritage with everyday use.
Hand Painting
Hand Painting is the art of decorating surfaces such as glass and textiles with brushwork. Each piece is painted individually, so no two are ever the same. This technique allows artisans to combine traditional motifs with their own creativity. We often mix painting with embroidery on textiles, and also apply it to our handblown glass pieces, bringing different crafts together in one unique design.
Natural Dyes
Natural dyeing uses plant, mineral, and organic materials to color fabrics. At Madu, we collaborate with Threads of Hope, who currently produce natural dyes in shades of green, yellow, orange, and grey. These are created using onion peel, dried safflower, madder root, and dried pomegranate, transforming natural waste into living color.
Mamluk Corded Embroidery
Corded work involves wrapping, knotting, and weaving cords or threads to create structure and texture. Often used in accessories such as bags or belts, it requires precision and patience to achieve both durability and refined design. Traditionally used to embellish royal galabeyas and robes, at Madu we have modernised the use of this craft for adding elegance to cushions, pillows and tote bags.
Crochet
Crochet is the technique of looping yarn with a hooked needle to create textiles. Unlike knitting, it uses a single hook and allows for intricate patterns and lace-like structures. Our crochet pieces are handmade by women artisans who transform simple thread into both functional and decorative items for the home and wardrobe. While synthetic machine-made crochet is to be found in every flea market today, Madu is proud to keep alive the craft in its original form, using rare and precious crochet stitch combinations to create unusual placemats, bags and baby items.
Pottery
Pottery is at the heart of Madu. It is one of the oldest human crafts, created by shaping clay and firing it in a kiln. Our pottery pieces are handmade by skilled artisans in the Fayoum province of Egypt, using traditional wheels and hand -building techniques.
Madu has deeply entrenched relationships with many of the pottery studios in Tunis Village, Fayoum built through years of mutual collaboration and trust. Mohamad Goma and his family produce exceptional salad bowls and platters creating their own designs that combine grand scale with gentle, rustic charm. The young couple Hana and Ali produce a range of smaller trays and plates bringing their youthful energy and joy to their creations. Master craftsman Hakeem makes a wide range of bowls and vases, that draw inspiration from the rural, farm life of Fayoum. With each passing year, Madu and our artisans, together, add to the design vocabulary of the Fayoum kilns, one beautiful product at a time.
Handblown Glass
Handblown glass is one of the most ancient crafts of Cairo. Today, it is kept alive by a handful of artisans who operate small workshops in Cairo’s Khan El Khalili and the City of the Dead. Each piece is unique, individually forged by hand in small, manually operated furnaces. Delightful little bubbles on the surface and slight variations in shape and color reveal the handmade character of this beautiful glassware.
Jewelry
Jewelry-making combines metalwork, stone-setting, and handcrafting skills. At Madu, we collaborate with artisans who work with silver, brass, and semi-precious stones. Each piece is handmade from scratch, carrying its own unique character and ensuring no two are ever alike. We also feature collections by contemporary jewelry designers such as FforFarah and Ghazala.
Alabaster
Alabaster is a translucent stone quarried in Egypt, especially around Luxor. It has been carved into vessels and sculptures since Pharaonic times. Today, Egyptian artisans continue this tradition, shaping alabaster by hand into bowls, lamps, and decorative objects that highlight the stone’s natural glow.