All About Beautiful Handmade Ghana Furniture and Wood Crafts

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

Mirror Embroidery Quilts from Jaipur and Jodhpur

The diversity of regions in India has led to a varied range of handicrafts which have become popular all over the world for their uniqueness. Mirror work with embroidery is a specialty craft from India.

Rajasthan is an Indian State with craftsmen of exemplary skill and talent. They are experts in working with various patterns, motifs and styles for textiles, with mirror work being one of the most popular of all embroidery crafts. Jaipur and Jodhpur are known for their finely embroidered quilts and garments, and mirrors are commonly used in their designs.

Mirror work seemingly originated in Persia in the thirteenth century and later spread to other places. Small pieces of mirrors are sewn on cloth using stitches like cross stitch, satin stitch and buttonhole stitch. Earlier, mica was used in place of mirrors to enhance the attractiveness of a garment. Now, with the help of modern machinery, mirror sheets are manufactured, which are then cut into different shapes and sizes. In Rajasthan, this craft has been popular since the time of the Rajput kings.

The craftsmen of Jaipur and Jodhpur have developed an enviable expertise in different patterns such as appliqué and tie-and-dye, which they embellish with mirrors, thereby turning ordinary cloth into an exquisite artform! Bikaner, Sikar and Jhunjhunu are other popular centers of this craft. Thus, it is not without reason that Rajasthan is often referred to as a ‘shopper’s delight’, with tourists often overwhelmed at the multitude of choices they get in embroidery styles.

Quilting or the stitching together of scraps of fabric which fit into a larger design is a unique offering of the state of Rajasthan. The making of quilts involves time, patience and skill. The lightweight, feather soft quilt from Jaipur will make you want no other. The warmth of these quilts will keep you cozy on the coldest winter night and the embroidery on the cover will add color to an otherwise gray season! Mirrors in various shapes – round, square and triangular – are used to enhance the pattern or design on these quilts. These mirrors are held onto the cloth with stitches. One quilt can hold up to a thousand mirrors! Such creative use of mirrors leaves a lasting impression and turns a simple quilt into a much coveted and exclusive possession.

Not only popular with the locals, garments with mirror work form a sizeable part of the exports made to European countries. It can truly be said that for the men and women of Rajasthan that their needle is a brush with which they create memorable art on cloth. Craftsmen and artists from different areas like Bikaner, Sikar and Jaisalmer contend for the top position in exquisite needle work and embroidery.
So gift yourself or your loved ones one of these traditional, exclusive items, handcrafted with meticulous care and skill!

View an example of Mirror Ebroidered Indian Bed Cover here.

Soapstone Handicrafts from Kenya: The History of a Local Art Form

Soapstone Handicrafts from Kenya are very popular for some time now. Most originate in the Kisii District of Kenya to the west of Lake Victoria. The history of soap stone handicrafts in Kenya goes back to the ancient times when the first Kenyan carved a bowl or cup from this easy to work stone. Since then the art has been passed down from generation to generation and gotten more complex as the years have passed. Many villages have their particular techniques and tricks that make their carved stone unique from the other areas. By learning which techniques are employed by which villages an expert can tell where a particular piece was made.

The differences in pieces from various villages along with the generations of carvers have created many price variations in the work. With the proper guidance, you can accumulate quite a collection of these beautiful artifacts. Some buyers specialize in the more commonplace items like unadorned bowls and plates while others concentrate on the exotic and carvings like Soapstone bookends and decorative abstract home décor pieces.

Though soapstone handicrafts have been created in most societies at one time or another, the Kenyan versions have become the standard all others are measured against. One of the determining factors in the quality of the carvings is the color and quality of the Soapstone. In the Kisii district of Kenya, there are at this moment, hundreds of people practicing the art of Soapstone carving. By exporting these works many locals have been able to raise the level of their income above the poverty level.

By keeping the tradition of their ancestors alive and well, these Kenyans honor their past and help to better their future.