1. What is it?----> Islamic Wall Art / Muslim Home Decor / Islamic Gift
2. What colour is it?-----> It has a natural wooden colour as well as the open colours of inlaid mother of pearls.
3. How big is it?------> Size can vary 1.25 cm (0.5") since it is handmade
40 cm x 35 cm (16"x 14")
4. What is it made from? ------> It is made from walnut tree wood and mother of pearl, they are produced in a small atelier.
5. Who should buy it? ------> You can buy it for many purposes. You can buy it as a gift for your wife, mother, sister or colleague.
6. What is it used for?-------> You can use it for various functions. It is very decorative.
7. Why is this one better than the one in the next shop?-----> I am producing them in my own hands, from a special wood (walnut tree). Your satisfaction is my top priority. I can answer your question on 7/24. After you order following your cargo and inform you in every step. Most importantly, the price is the most affordable (guaranteed)!
8. Do I get everything in the picture?-------> There are pictures of several similar items in each listing. The prices are varying according to the item you choose. Therefore, you should specify which product you wanted. Choose the price for this particular item. You will get the item that you made the payment for.
9. What if I don't like it? I can accept returns. But you must pay the shipping cost and it must come to me without damage.
10. Is it ready to use?-----> Yes it is ready for use.
11. How does it arrive?----> I make a tightly wrapped cargo package for the shipping. If you send it to your friend or someone else, I can prepare a gift wrap as well. But please send me a message about the notepaper to be placed on the gift package.
12. Will I get the EXACT item in the photo?----> Yes, you will get what you see and choose in the photos.
13. How do I know it’s “vintage”?-----> They are NOT vintage, but newly produced, originally handmade, and authentic.
14. How long it takes for shipping? ----> We ship it with FedEx and TNT. Below You can see the shipping time.
a. UK: 2-3 business days
b. Europe: 2-3 business days
c. USA:4-5 business days
d. Canada:4-5 business days
e. Other: 4-6 business days
15. PAYMENT METHODS? --------> You can pay for all methods. Credit card, Master Card, and PayPal.
If you have a Paypal account it can be good for me. but you can pay through other methods as well.
16. WHOLESALE-----------> If you are interested in buying wholesale, please contact me on 7/24. Because they are handmade items and it can take some time to produce high numbers.
17. WHAT IS THE "MOTHER OF PEARL"?
Mother-of-pearl is the shiny, hard material that lines mussel and oyster shells and other fresh and saltwater shellfish. Mother-of-pearl inlaying, also known as mother-of-pearl marquetry, combines this material with wood to produce various decorative items.
The earliest examples of this art are found on Sumerian tombstones dated to 4000 B.C. Mother-of-pearl marquetry was practised especially in eastern countries in the past. It reached a peak of excellence under the Ottoman Empire and became an ornamentation technique of which classic examples can be found in Turkish-Islamic art.
From the 15th century onwards, it was one of the handcrafts popular for ornamenting the doors and windows of mosques, palaces and mansions, and also for accessories used in these buildings. Although this art was widely practised in the Far East, it reached its peak in Anatolia under the Seljuks and Ottomans.
Unfortunately, the decline of the Ottoman Empire also brought the decline of this craft. A famous mother-of-pearl craftsman was Sultan Abdulhamid II, who made inlaid items in the workshop he set up in Yıldız Palace. The craft later came to an almost complete standstill before being revived in Gaziantep.
18. WHICH PRODUCTS ARE MADE FROM MOTHER-OF-PEARL?
In Gaziantep, the mother-of-pearl inlay was first employed only on gun handles. However, from the 1960s, led by Nizipli Hanif Usta, it began to be used on other accessories and furniture and developed rapidly. Masterpieces were created with skillfully combined wire and mother-of-pearl.
Among the most popular inlaid gift items, and widely produced in the city, are rectangular or shell-shaped jewellery boxes. The symmetrically decorated boxes are ideal for storing jewellery, makeup or other items. The reasonably-priced boxes are decorated with flower motive medallions (“penç”), rosebuds, leaves, spots, triangles and squares.
19. HOW ARE THESE ITEMS PRODUCED?
I usually work with walnut, from which I succeed in producing many spectacular items. The pattern is first drawn on the wood. Grooves for the wires are then scored along the lines of the drawing. Aluminium, brass or silver wires are hammered into the grooves and secured with glue. Indentations for the mother-of-pearl are then chiselled out.
The next step is to prepare the mother-of-pearl which looks like oyster and cockle shells and fix it in place. The cut and sanded slivers of mother-of-pearl are placed in the indentations. They are later glued and left to dry for the rest of the day. When dry, the item is sanded smooth, and if desired the wood blackened by burning. Finally, the item is rubbed with pure olive oil; and when the oil has been thoroughly absorbed, shellac is applied to give a shiny and clean finish.
The patterns are created with geometric motives in an unending sequence. By making the geometric shapes curl or branch; creating main or subsidiary connections between them or having them cut one another or make knots; natural motifs such as tulips, carnations and roses, and sometimes animal figures are depicted.
You can watch how these gorgeous handicrafts are made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HSAJE0mdNU
Be available for on Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas Day, Father's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, International Women's Day (IWD) , too.