African carvings are symbols of power and ritual in the life of the tribe. They are used for fertility, divination, status, rites of passage, music and many other functions.
At Safari Gifts, you can find various types of wood-carvings for your safari decor or a special gift - choose from Animal carvings, masks, household items, candlestands and many others.
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Many wood carvings are hand-carved out of only one piece of wood and they all make excellent home decor and conversation pieces. For example, the wood for the unity piece (Ujamaa) is taken from the roots of different baobab and Blackwood trees (Ebony) throughout Africa. Only the most skilled artisans can create a unity carvings, since they have to make it entirely out of one piece of wood.
Ebony wood is an exceptionally dense and beautiful wood found only in the Sahara desert regions of Africa. Its exceptional density not only makes it very heavy, but also gives it an incomparable sheen when polished. Because of the high value and heaviness of this wood, only the master carvers of Africa are able to use it for their craft. The carvers use simple hand tools to produce the works of art sold at Safari Gifts.
In ancient days, the royalty of Persia and India would travel to West Africa to find ebony to use for scepters, sculptures and drinking chalices. Even now ebony is considered the most valued and treasured wood to be found. Ebony normally is brown on the outside of the tree, and black on the inside. The carvings often come as a beautiful mixture of black and brown, as well as the pure Blackwood that is most well known.
Each piece has its own special beauty. Like any wood, ebony is subject to drying and cracking, especially in dry climates. Your wood pieces should be cared for with occasional polishing with shoe polish or other moisturizing agents.
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