Bethlehem Crafts
Bethlehem Olive Wood Carvings Gift Shop
Olive Wood Carving Craftsmanship
Bethlehem Crafts Holy Land Olive Wood Carvings are available in different styles and levels of craftsmanship for all tastes and budgets. Modern olive wood statues have smooth lines and faceless features. Rustic olive wood carvings have a folk art style with hand carved details. Artistic olive wood figurines have refined details and custom touches. Masterpieces are one of a kind olive wood sculptures that have a realistic look and are heirloom works of art. All of Bethlehem Crafts items are made by local Christian craftsmen living in Bethlehem or Jerusalem. The Bethlehem olive wood carving tradition dates to the 4th century AD when Christians began making pilgrimages to holy sites throughout the Israel Palestine region. Holy Land olive wood carvings pass through various stages and will be worked on by different artists before the final product is finished. Many items begin on a machine to get the basic shape. Skilled craftsmen manually add details and features with specialized artists sculpting facial features and fine details. Finally, items are sanded down, polished and coated with olive wax for a natural shine or lacquer for a more durable finish.
Olive Wood Qualities
Each olive wood carving is one of a kind due to the natural variegated qualities of olive tree wood and the individual style of different craftsman. Olive tree wood is a beautiful hard wood that ranges from a light golden color, rich caramel tone to a dark brown wood which may be uniform or striped. Please contact Bethlehem Crafts directly if you have any questions about a particular olive wood carving from the Holy Land.
