Traditional
craft:
It
is difficult to say when the tradition of hewing memorable religious items in
Bethlehem started. It is said that Franciscan and Roman Orthodox monks during
the middle centuries taught the natives how to hand craft primitive souvenirs to
be sold to Christian pilgrims who visited the Holy Land to follow the foot
prints of Jesus Christ. Olive wood, mother-of- pearl, terra cota, bee wax, camel
and sheep wool, tinted glass, etc. were some of the row materials locally
available and used to produce spiritual artifacts such as Crosses, rosaries,
nativity sets, candles, biblical scenes, embroidery, art objects, etc.
Handed down through successive generations, these traditional crafts,
alongside to agricultural activities and farming, provided the daily bread to
the majority of the population and contributed in enriching the artistic culture
throughout the region.
The
olive wood craft was the craft that developed most, during the last decades,
modern techniques were adopted, fine art schools and vocational centers were
inaugurated and scholarships were granted for talented artists in an effort to
develop and modernize the trade and adapt it to the variable competitive
market’s needs. Today, one can say that the olive wood craft in Bethlehem has
evolved into a reputable industry.
Olivart, being founded
at the beginning of this evolutionary process; had served as a vocational center
for tenths of artisans. Many of them still work for Olivart till today.
Usually it takes about two years to train a qualified
carver.
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