Gorgeous video of Afghanistan

One of the most beautiful tributes to Afghanistan and its people that I have seen to date:

Afghanistan – touch down in flight from Augustin Pictures on Vimeo.

The background info:

As each of us has his own impression of Afghanistan that is predominantly marked with pictures of foreign forces, explosions and terror, we were privileged to have access to capture daily life and portrait some people of Afghanistan.  We hope the pictures you know will merge with the pictures you see and will enrich your view on the country in the Hindu Kush.

locations:
Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif
We wanted to go to other places as well but there were several incidents and security was too bad. Just one day after shooting at the blue mosque in Mazar-e Sharif a mob started from the very same place storming the UN building.

I have lived from 2006-2008 in Kabul doing my civil service for a humanitarian aid organization. This March I had the chance to go back with my fiancée to show her the place I love and to capture the beauty of this country with our cameras.

At the same time I made this as a tribute to a dear friend, who was shot in the streets of Kabul. Gayle inspired me in her love and dedication for the Afghans.

Lisa-Maria Puy who composed the music for us was wonderful to work with. We met her on Zanzibar island and back in Germany she composed this wonderful soundtrack within just 3 days (and nights). She studied music at HfM Detmold in Germany and is a very talented artist and we hope to work with her again.
You can contact her on: puy-music[at]gmx.de

I hope you enjoy and we are happy for your honest feedback.
Lukas and Salome Augustin


website: lukasaugustin.de
more information and production photos:
facebook.com/pages/Augustin-Pictures/161244407238332
Twitter: twitter.com/LukasAugustin

© by Lukas and Salome Augustin
All rights reserved
Feel free to watch it on Vimeo, to share on Facebook, Twitter etc. but please ask for embed permission and please don't upload the video on Youtube or any other site. Thank you!

Green Serpentine Beads in our Etsy Shop

Green Serpentine from Afghanistan

We have been working steadily on getting the Etsy shop loaded with textiles, jewelry and beads.  We now have a nice selection up of green serpentine.  

Click to go visit!

Sturee Tribal Village at the PrimeXpo Gem and Jewelry Philadelphia Show

Fluorite beads from Afghanistan

Sturee Tribal Village, Afghan Tribal Art's retail gallery, will have a booth this weekend at the PrimeXpo Gem and Jewelry Show in Philadelphia.  Click here for show information.

As usual, we will have our handmade, carved beads: semi precious stones such as lapis lazuli, carnelian, jade, serpentine, malachite along with vintage tribal jewelry from Central Asia.  Hope to see you there!

New Textile Stamps Listed on Etsy!

Afghan Tribal Arts on Etsy

Textile production has always been one of the great commodities traded along the Silk Road.  Afghanistan's many ethnic groups all contribute to these traditions with variations in technique and design.  Workshops which print or printed their own fabrics also carved their own stamps.  Over time, they become worn with cracks and imperfections.  These cast-offs are highly valued by the textile and fiber art community in the west.  As more and more fiber artists plunge into surface design experiments, they expand their own collections of tools, such as these stamps, coming from Asia and Africa.

Focal textile stamp.

We now have a nice supply of textile stamps available in our Etsy shop:  AfghanTribalArts.  There are basically three kinds of stamps:  focals which are used as central images, fillers which fill the space around a focal and borders, used to outline a textile or focal area. 

Border Textile Stamp

Most of the designs from Afghanistan depict flowers or geometric designs as animals and people are discouraged under Islamic religious directives.  Ornate and graceful, these old stamps also make beautiful art pieces on their own.  They can sit on book shelves or by adding picture frame hangers, cluster on a wall.

Here is a beautiful video from India showing similar stamps in use:

We combine shipping on multiple purchases and give free shipping on orders over $100 in the United States.  The shop is full of treasures:  hand-carved beads, vintage tribal jewelry, embroidered textiles, and much more.  Come visit!

15% off! Afghan Tribal Arts at the G&LW Show: Franklin, NC

Zaland Wardak at the Bead and Button Show

Afghan Tribal Arts is showing in Franklin, North Carolina, this weekend.  Leave a comment on this post and get 15% off at the show!

Franklin, NC
July 28-29-30-31, 2011

	Location:	Watauga Festival Center
	Address:	426 Watauga Road Franklin, NC 28734-2324
	Phone:	601-879-8832	Hours:	10AM-6PM Daily; 10AM-3PM Sunday

Map	Travel Info
Buyer Registration Form	Request Booth Space
View Floorplan	Show Program

AFGHAN TRIBAL ARTS

Tent #033/043

Hand Carved Lapis, Jade, Carnelian, Ethnic and Tribal Pendants, Semi-Precious and Precious Stones. S.R.

Hand cut semi precious stones from Afghanistan.

Sturee Tribal Village at American Gem Expo: Atlanta, July 16

Turkman Cuffs

Sturee Tribal Village will be at the American Gem Expo this weekend. A new shipment of beads has arrived, so there will be new things for those of you who are regulars. Look for us at the show!

Atlanta, GA
July 16 & 17, 2011
Bead & Jewelry Show
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DoubleTree Hotel
1075 Holcomb Bridge Road
Roswell, GA 30076
Promoter: American Bead Shows: (770) 739-0057
---------------------------------------------------

• Show hours:
  SATURDAY: 10AM - 5PM
  Sunday: 10AM - 4PM
  $4 admission, Open to the public
  
  
• Direction to Venue:
  Going North on Hwy 400 to Alpharetta, take Exit 7B, go West about 1/4 Mile to 2nd light, turn left, location on left
  
  
  .... From I-285-East or West: Take Hwy 400-North to Exit 7B, go West to 2nd light, turn left, location on left
  ...From Downtown Atlanta, take I-85 North, to Hwy 400-North, take exit 7B & go West to 2nd light, turn left, location on left

15% off! Afghan Tribal Arts at the Bead And Button Show

www.afghantribalarts.com

The Bead and Button Show in Milwaukee takes place on this weekend, June10-12.  Reputed to be the biggest and best show in the Midwest for bead lovers, it is not to be missed!

http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/

Afghan Tribal Arts will be there!  Booth 234 with all of the gorgeous handcut semi-precious stones from Central Asia:  jade, serpentine, carnelian, lapis lazuli, and so much more.  Most of these come from Afghanistan and help support artisans who do the handwork.  Afghanistan is home to many stones, but of these, the most famous is lapis lazuli, which has only been found there and in Chile, South America.  Lapis has historically been precious, a source of blue for illuminators from the Middle Ages, for inlaid work in India and Persia, and for the jewelry worn by royalty, nobles and brides.

Lapis Lazuli:  worth its weight in gold

Afghan Tribal Arts also has a good selection of beads from Africa, and other places around the world.  And, for those who love tribal jewelry, we also carry finished pieces:  earrings, chokers, necklaces, bracelets, cuffs- old and new.  It can be great fun when different cultures meet:

Afghan Tribal Arts has been showing at the Bead and Button Show for many years:

Afghan Tribal Arts at the Bead and Button Show

Here's the deal:

Like our Facebook Fan Page and get 15% off 

at the Bead and Button Show.

Afghan Tribal Arts

Booth 234

Afghan Tribal Arts on Facebook