Jordan is located in an area that is peppered with archaeological ruins of past civilizations including the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Romans. The artisans of Jordan are famous for a high standard of craft such as pottery, jewelry, embroidery, mosaics, carpets, and glass blowing. Their history is rich in Bedouin culture, the traditions of nomads tending to sheep and fine providers of wool.
Mosaics
Mosaic art is created by pressing ceramic or glass fragments into wet plaster. The history of mosaics dates back to the first century BC. It was popularized during the Byzantine period in the sixth century AD. Mosaics have been used to decorate floors of religious and civil buildings, to tell stories, enhance calligraphy, or create murals. One of the earliest known maps in the world is a mosaic that depicts Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Palestine.
Madaba in Jordan is known as the “City of Mosaics”, where the traditional techniques are preserved. The artisans must have great skill to cut the small individual mosaic tiles out limestone to the perfect size and shape. Sometimes it takes over a dozen times for the artisan to get the correct size for a specific design such as a tree or flower.
Ostrich Eggs
Ostrich egg painting is an ancient art first discovered in a South African cave 60,000 years ago. The ostrich eggshell is used for its durability, strength, and size, with a net capacity of more than one liter – commonly being used as a water flask. The ostrich egg has such high resistance that it cannot only be painted but also engraved and carved with a beautiful white layer appearing underneath the creamy outer layer. Thus, ostrich egg shells have been transformed into lamps that illuminate the carved design, shining the pattern all across the room.
The artisans of Jordan use a dotting method to color the eggs, producing a mosaic effect. The paint is introduced through a pointy piping pocket that allows tiny drops to flow through. This difficult technique takes many hours of training on a flat surface before the artisan is ready to attempt applying it to the round shape of the egg.
Glassblowing
Glassblowing is a craft that has been perfected over 2,000 years, and takes a craftsman years of practice to master the art. Using a hollow pipe, the artisan scoops up a lump of oozing glass and blows through the pipe as they rotate the glowing orb. Once the glass is transformed into the desired shape and size, it is placed in a special chamber to cool down. The glassblowing artisans of Jordan can be found in Hebron and Amman. You can find magnificent vases, bottles, and glasses in royal blue and rich green colors.
Jordan has been influenced by many different cultures and has a wide variety of crafts. The artisans of Jordan are masters in glassblowing, mosaic art, embroidery, and dot painting ostrich eggs.
