Olive wood carving in Palestine
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Olive wood carving is an ancient tradition in Palestine that continues to the present day. It involves the skillful chiseling of olive wood and is most common in the Bethlehem region.
History
The tradition of making the
Today, the art continues to be a major source of income for Bethlehem's
Production process
The process of producing an olive wood craft requires labor intensity and consists of many stages, often involving the work of multiple artisans. Drilling machines are used initially to attain the rough outline of the intended craft. It accounts for 15% of the process, although it eliminates some of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of the carving. Next the piece is passed onto a skilled artisan who transforms the rough outline into a finished product by chiseling the details. Finally, the finished item must be sanded down and polished, then coated with olive wax to give the object a "natural shine" and ensure its longevity.[2] Depending on what the particular product is, the process could take up to 45 days. Most professional artisans go through six to seven years of training.[4]
Olive wood is used because it is easier to carve than other woods and could be done accurately with simple hand tools. Also, it has a diverse variety of natural color and tonal depth, due to the annual structure. It is also resistant to decay and receptive to a number of surfacing treatments.[3]
See also
- Mother-of-Pearl carving in Bethlehem
- Palestinian handicrafts
References
- ^ Bethlehem olive wood Crafts Gifts and Crafts.
- ^ a b Carving out tradition in Palestine Archived 2013-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Institute for Middle East Understanding. 22 December 2007.
- ^ a b c d "Bethlehem Municipality - Handicrafts". Archived from the original on October 22, 2007.
- ^ Craft traditions of Palestine: Olivewood carving Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine Sunbula.