Silver Mark Help Middle Eastern?

Hi All,
This belongs to a friend, wondering if it is silver or plated. Stands about 8"H. The only thing I can make out is Garantee
Any information appreciated
thanks for looking

 

Looks like a little teapot from Morocco (or another formerly-French colony, hence the word "garantie.") Typically, they're plated and not silver. An internet image search will bring up lots of other examples.

Debora

 

the handle looks kinda rough to be silver...

 

I agree, a teapot from Morocco or neighbouring countries. I don't know about any silver plating, since they are put on the fire. They are called berrad.

A Moroccan friend used a berrad for Moroccan mint tea. She would stuff what looked like half a fresh mint bush in that little pot belly, on top of some steeped green tea, and top it up with water and bring it to the boil.
The procedure is slightly more complex, but this is it in a nutshell. It was a hospitality ritual which she treated with the utmost respect. Her family was originally from Marrakesh, where tradition is important.

About the languages, when she went to school in Morocco in the 60s the lessons were in French in the morning, in the afternoon she would get the same lessons in Arabic.
Rather cumbersome, but it explains why many Moroccans with some schooling are proficient in both languages. If they are Berber/Tamazight, they will likely speak one of the Berber/Amazigh languages as well.
I don't know if they still teach school this way.

 

thanks for the replies folks

that sounds like it would be a good cup of tea

 

And good company.