Mother of Pearl Box

As early as 4500 BC, ancient Egyptians used mother of pearl as a personal ornament to make themselves more pleasing to the gods. Fragments of these ornaments, made of inlaid Mother of pearl and silver, still exist today. Mother of Pearl is made from the inside lining of shells like conch or of oyster pearls. A popular item today is the crochet necklace or bracelet of layered pearls and beads on a crocheted foundation.

Inlaid mother of pearl jewelry boxes made of wood or metal are another popular Egyptian handcraft. Constructed of abalone shell mother of pearl, hundreds of finely-cut pieces are hand set into wood or metal individually so that each box is different from others. Especially striking is the way colors are reflected from the surface as a result of how the pieces of pearl are arranged. Mother of pearl is also inlaid into decorative pieces that include silver gilt or gold into their designs.

When we think of Egyptian arts, we picture the pyramids, Sphinx and treasures of King Tut’s tomb. These are all amazing examples of ancient Egyptian artistry. But the early Egyptians had other talents as well. Many of these ancient arts and crafts are still practiced today exactly as they were in pharaoh’s time, the tools, techniques and secrets having been passed down from generation to generation.

Jewelry making, glass work, metal work, weaving, sculpture, carpentry, papyrus painting and batik are just a few of the traditional arts and crafts still practiced by Egyptian craftsmen of today. Artists continue to improve and refine their skills with specialized trainings and classes throughout their lives. Here are just a few examples of what they do so well.

African Furniture

Ghana, also known as the Gold Coast is well known for its rich supply of durable timber of top quality. Timber or lumber from Ghana is valued greatly and used to make furniture, handicrafts, toys, and more. The most popular types of lumber from Ghana are Teak, Mahogany, Sapele, Bubinga, Maobi, Ebony, Iroko, Apa and Sesse wood. About one third of Ghana is covered with forest and its wood is 3rd highest revenue source making forestry one of Ghana’s main export.

Ghana is one of the most stable countries in Africa and its government supports and encourages entrepreneurship. Ghana has also received financial aid to help its forest industry so more wood can be grown and used. Ghana supplied timber to Europe from 1833 to 1945 after which it started exporting manufactured lumber.

Wood can be kiln dried or air dried and each piece may have subtle differences since it’s made from the hands of skilled craftsmen and not mass produced by machines. The handmade furniture from Ghana is influenced by its rich culture and history of ancient tribes that goes back thousands of years. The skilled craftsmen make beautiful stools with ancient African tribal designs. The African stool is very important in Ghana. The national symbol of Ghana is the Golden Stool and the Ashanti people believe that the soul of their nation resides in this symbol.

The Ashanti tribe is the largest in Ghana and they are famous for their handmade stools, other handmade crafts and their skilled craftsmanship. Other tribal influences come from Guan, Gurba, Fanti, Ewe, and Mole-Dagbani.

The traditional Ghana tribal stool, which is beautifully decorated, has been used for thousands of years and is still used today in Ghana for sitting at dinner. Because the furniture is inspired by African tribes such as the Ashanti tribe it’s the perfect accessory to any home because it’s beautiful, unique, exotic and skillfully crafted.

African Home Decor: Click to view Ghana furniture collection at Cultural Elements