The basket from Zimbabwe came into our family through my mother. She taught science in Zimbabwe for four years and was given the basket by a villager during her time there. She considers the basket a piece of art because it is very beautiful and intricately crafted. The bowl is made with coiled bundles of grass laced together with strips of plastic sacking. Basketry is a traditional art form that spans the entire continent of Africa. Attaining the status of ‘master weaver’ in a community requires the highest level of skill in fiber preparation, dyeing, and weaving. Most of the people who attain this status are women.
The decorative ceramic ornaments were brought back as souvenirs from a trip my mother and I took to the Czech Republic. They are designed to look like buildings in the town square of Litoměřice, a town we visited. The ornaments are displayed on a shelf in our dining room where we can admire them and be reminded of our trip. Buildings in Europe are much older than those in America. The buildings the ornaments were inspired by are probably 400 years old. While in the country my mother and I enjoyed Czech architecture, especially the many colors. A lot of the buildings are painted in shades of pastel. At one point we visited a manor that was pink. Blocky utilitarian buildings that were built during the Communist era have now been enhanced with strips of yellow or peach.
The third artifact is a hand carved nativity set made in Israel, with olive wood. Although it was made in Israel, my parents bought it at an international fair sales craft store in Newton, KS. We use it every Christmas and it is a central decoration. The olive tree is a symbol of Israel and has been a native plant since ancient times. Olive trees have a high endurance and fruitful capacity. It is considered a sign of peace between God and mankind. Also, many of the carvings made from olive wood use trimmings from when the tree is pruned. This keeps the trees healthy and means that no tree is damage or destroyed to make the carvings.
These are just three of the many international artifacts my family owns. However, they are some of my favorites and portray a good variety among the three, coming from three different continents. Our artifacts remind us of our travels and of the connections we have to others around the world. They carry both cultural and sentimental significance, as well as help to decorate a diverse home.
Note: This is an assignment done for my International Communications class at school.
