Mother-of-pearl carving is a traditional handicraft in Bethlehem, and is said to have been brought to the city by Franciscan friars from Italy in the 15th century.[1]
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Mother of pearl carving - Bethlehem
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Making Mother-of-Pearl Lacquerware
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Making of the Mother of Pearl
Transcription
History
Bethlehem's position as an important Christian city has for centuries attracted a constant stream of pilgrims. This generated much local work and income, also for women, including making mother-of-pearl souvenirs. According to Weir, Bethlehem women's employment in the mother-of-pearl industry goes back at least to the seventeenth century.[2] It was noted by Richard Pococke, who travelled there in 1727.[3]
The first exhibition in the west of mother-of-pearl artifacts from Palestine was at The World Fair in New York in 1852. Two brothers, Giries and Ibrahim Mansur, exhibited their work and were a great success.[1]
Previously, most of the oysters for the mother-of-pearl supply came from the Red Sea. As of 2007 however, Australia, California, New Zealand and Brazil are the main exporters of the mother-of-pearl.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b Tourist Products[usurped], Palestine-family.net, 23.01.2007, Source: "Bethlehem, The Immortal Town" by Giries Elali
- ^ Weir, 1989, pp.128, 280, n.30
- ^ "there are many Christians here: they live by making not only crosses and beads of wood, inlaid with mother of pearl, but also models of the Church of the holy Sepulchre, and of the several sanctuaries in and about Jerusalem"; Pococke, 1811, p. 436
- ^ Bethlehem municipality website Archived 2007-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
- Weir, Shelagh (1989). Palestinian Costume, London: British Museum Publications Ltd. ISBN 0-7141-2517-2. (exhibition catalog)
- Pococke, R. (1811): A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World: Many of which are Now First Translated Into English, (Popocke starts at p. 406)
External links
- Mother of Pearl A Traditional Palestinian Craft By Saleem Zougbi, Based on the book, “Nacar di Palestina” by Enrique Jidi, Colombia.
- Tourist Products[usurped] Palestine-family.net, 23.01.2007, Based on the book, "Bethlehem, The Immortal Town" by Giries Elali
This page was last edited on 15 March 2024, at 03:38