Endangered Palestinian Craft
Ottoman-era pottery, olive wood carving, artisan tiles, and the art of embroidery
In Hand contributor and friend Annie Oakley Waterman of AOW Handmade is a sourcing agent and traditional craft advocate who helps bring artisan goods to market (you can read our interview with her in this previous dispatch). For the last few years, Annie has been working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help bring greater exposure to the artisan sector of Palestine. As part of these efforts, she helped organize a small group of buyers for a deep-dive into the craft and culture of the West Bank, where they spent a week visiting local markets, workshops and artist ateliers last fall, just weeks before the outbreak of this horrible, gut-wrenching war. Annie’s photographs and reflections below offer an intimate portrayal of the people and places holding Palestine’s greatly endangered centuries-old traditions in their hands. These stories are essential, especially now, when the connection between the past and future feels more tenuous than ever.
FAKHOURY POTTERY
Stepping inside the old factory run by the Fakhoury family (Fakhoury means “potter” in Arabic) is always a highlight in the West Bank. This Ottoman-era pottery tradition has been passed down within the Fakhoury family lineage for more than five generations, creating an important cultural link that connects Palestinian history with heritage without discussing politics or conflict. With approximately ten master-level artists continuing to work on the wheel, the workshop is bustling—from men at the wheel to those preparing, firing, and carrying the vessels to and from their stations to dry. Old posters of traditional motifs and framed family photos adorn the clay-splattered walls. They make everything from clay flower pots and candle holders to drinking vessels and water storage containers. Locals still use these clay water vessels for everyday drinking—it is said that the clay vessels restore the vitality and minerals of the water.