handicraft

Handicrafts vault naturally from the very soil of the country. Handicrafts are made of native materials shaped with an esthetic sense born of historical, social and environmental influences. Lebanon's handicraft originated from need. They were never considered mere décor, but were put to daily use.

The beginning of pottery is lost in the haze of time. In Lebanon, whether dyed with yellow or gray, found on the coast or in the mountain, wherever man found clay he discovered how to give it form with his hands. Some create reddish brown soup bowls, platters and plates. Others create the meter-high jars that are used for conserving provisions as olive oil, vinegar, arak or preserved meat. In other pottery workshops, they create complete table service sets including coffee or tea sets, bowls, wine glasses, mezze plates or spouted water jars used to cool water at any hour or season

Woodwork in Lebanon is of various kinds including inlaid veneer, painted wood and turned or sculpted wood. Inlaid veneer is used to decorate furniture in Arab households: chairs, small tables, chests and mirrors as well as chess sets, game tables, picture frames, pencil holders and boxes. Though it only requires an amateur to prepare the items but it requires a master craftsman for composing and setting the inlay. The "Zouaq" or painted wood, a technique of painting on wood derived from the Arab art, is another kind of woodwork seen on covering walls and ceilings. In turned wood, wood workers use cedar wood first to turn them into cylinders of different sizes then to sculpt them into coffee cups, plates, vases and bowls. As for the sculpted woodwork, artisans use designs based on geometric and floral patterns in which one can see on the wooden cupboards, chairs, tables and other items the decorative Islamic theme

This distinctive kind of cutlery has won several international fairs. The interesting thing about this cutlery is that the handles are shaped like a bird's head. This