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Arts
Syrian crafts includes jewelry-making, characterized by extravagant gold and solver work (goal is considered higher class); mosaic; inlaid woodworking; glass-blowing; and weaving and embroidery textiles, such as clothing, tablecloths, pillow covers and carpets. A special brocaded fabric called damask is named for the city of Damascus where it originated. Damask used to be made of silk with silver and gold threads woven through it by hand into a raised pattern which appears on both sides, making it perhaps the first reversible fabric. Modern damask is made from a variety of clothes but is still woven by hand. Syria is known for an alum charm that is supposed to ward off evil. The charm is colored blue & has a triangular shape. It is adorned with strands of beads & a symbolic blue hand that protects its owner. Taxis & buses have the charms hanging from their rear-view mirrors.
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During the Middle Ages, sword-makers in Damascus became famous throughout the Middle East, Central Asia & Southern Europe for their extremely high-quality swords made from a secret alloy called Damascene Steel. The hilts were elaborately decorated by a process known as “Damascening” in which the hilts were incised with intricate patterns & then inlaid with bronze, gold & silver. In the 14th century, however, one of Damascus’ conquerors captured all the sword-makers & put them in his own service, & the art of Damascene steel died out. The process of inlaying lives on, through, in Syrian woodworking. read more>>> |
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Syria is a living folklore. The Syrian's taste for the traditional arts continues undiminished. It is expressed in dances such as the famous al-Samah, the Dabkes in all their variations and the sword dance, to name but a few. Marriage ceremonies and the birth of children are occasions for the lively demonstration of folk customs.
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| Some Syrian Customs revolve around there crafts. Traditional crafts are still made the way they were thousands of years ago. The skills of Embroidery, Ceramics, Pottery, Jewellery and Basketry are all passed down from generation to generation. These traditions exemplify Syrian values. |
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| Ceramics & Pottery - Syria has many natural clay deposits, which have been used for many centuries in the making of pottery. Early examples of pottery consisted of vessels for food storage, which had been sun-cured and baked in a pit fired with straw and dung. Large coil-and-slab pots, known as jarra, were originally used to store water or olive oil.
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Jewelry Traditionally the most important material for jewelry was silver, but for poorer people copper and bronze were also used. Silver gilt and gold were less common and used only in exceptional cases. Precious stones played no part in folk jewelry, but semi-precious stones occur occasionally. Cornelian, agate, turquoise and amber were the first choice, and magical properties were attributed to them? because of their colours. Consequently glass beads of the same colours could be substituted. Jewelry function as a savings bank and insurance policy is particularly apparent in the frequent use of unaltered coins as pendants, arranged in rows on headbands, in earrings etc. The economic Importance of jewelry is further demonstrated by the fact that it was produced in large quantities meant to be worn as an ensemble. Here the quantity of jewelry and its weight were more important than the quality of the craftsmanship. Temple pendants, armlets and anklets were usually worn in pairs. The most important indication of quality was the silver content. Since no silver was mined in the region, the raw material was obtained by melting down worn-out old jewelry and coins. |
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SILK - The famous Syrian silk brocade (called there "Brocard") is perhaps one of the most opulent and luxurious products of the orient. Extraordinary richness and thickness of this fabric, intense colors of natural dyes, intricate, centuries-old patterns, and fantastic quality of workmanship, combine to create a product without parallel. |
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In the Orient inlay is one of the most popular techniques for decorating metal objects. A sorter decorative metal (gold, silver or copper) is combined with a harder ground metal (bronze or steel) by being hammered on to a roughened surface or into a lower ground prepared by picking put the pattern with a burin. The earliest examples of inlaid metal objects from the Islamic world can be dated to the ninth and tenth centuries.
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| Other works of art.... woodwork
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 Chest drawer - mother of pearl inlay |
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| copper work
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| mosaic
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 mosaic mother of pearls |
 Sindbad chest |
| painting
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 Departure - Lamis Dachwali |
 painting easel |
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Glass
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Fabric - Damask
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more of other works of arts>>>
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