It is thought that monks brought the art of olive wood carving to local Bethlehem residents in the 4th century. Today, in Beit Sahour (Bethlehem district) there are several small family-run carving shops. - Folk Art Mavens Photo Galleries - Handicrafts by Palestinian Artisans- powered by SmugMug

Folk Art Mavens is committed to bringing you the best in handcrafted gifts from threatened communities around the world. During our travels, we've compiled a collection of photos of the artisans who produce our products, which we are sharing here.

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to view the products created by these artisans

See Olive Wood carvers at work in the Bethlehem district.

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folkartmavens > The olive tree, an integral part of the Palestinian economy, is abundant in the West Bank. Here are trees in the village of Beit Sahour (Bethlehem district), the home of most of today's olive wood carving.

folkartmavens > Olive trees are cared for lovingly, and branches are selectively cut for carving. Here is a pile of uncarved olive wood, stacked to dry.

folkartmavens > The olive wood is cut into pieces appropriate for the size of the item to be carved. Here are olive wood pieces for making crosses.

folkartmavens > This is the size of olive wood required for a Holy Family.

folkartmavens > Every item made of olive wood is unique because of the beautiful grain of the tree.

folkartmavens > It is thought that monks brought the art of olive wood carving to local Bethlehem residents in the 4th century. Today, in Beit Sahour (Bethlehem district) there are several small family-run carving shops.

folkartmavens > Rough cutting is done on machines programmed with the master design model.

folkartmavens > A candlestick crafted by a master carver is used in this machine to program the cutting.

folkartmavens > The result is a rough candlestick, ready for sanding, putting on a base, and finishing.

It is thought that monks brought the art of olive wood carving to local Bethlehem residents in the 4th century. Today, in Beit Sahour (Bethlehem district) there are several small family-run carving shops.