Many of the items are hand-made by a small Tunisian company. Tunisia is one of the world's leading olive producers,
and the Sahel, a coastal plain in the north of this small country, is
liberally cast with olive groves. The pictures of the Sahel evoke
the dry wind and ripe smell from the trees. And what does the olive
tree look like? Here is a lovely description prepared by our friends who craft the olive wood table ware: "If there were only one tree to tell us the story
of the world, it would be the olive tree, its
gnarled branches as thick as the hands of a wise old man, keeper of a
secular conscience as old as the earth, the tree with a thousand
virtues, the shimmering tree."
This
quality of earthy wisdom is palpable when you pick up an olive wood
product. Weighty and smooth, the pieces fit into your hands as if
they love being there. Bring them up close to your nose and smell
the olives, the baked North African earth, the hands that handled
them. Olives themselves have a rich cultural and religious history,
symbolic of peace, of plenty and of holiness. The leaves were used
to crown champions in ancient contests. The oil was used to anoint
the faithful. The fruit, the olive itself, is sustaining and
nutritious. To use this kitchen and tableware is to touch the roots
of our civilization when you serve a meal!
To care for these products, wash by hand with warm water and soap – do not soak – and rub a little oil (olive, of course) into the wood afterward to restore its shine. Then, use, love, and enjoy!
