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

New Tribal Pendants Listed on Etsy!

Vintage Pashtun Silver Pendant: Carved Carnelian, Camel

Central Asian metal smiths have worked silver and other metals with exquisite artistry for centuries.  Painstakingly twisting, hammering, etching, soldering and finally, building finished pieces that remain in families for generations.  You will find examples of many different traditions that originate in this area at Sturee Tribal Village.  We also just listed about 30 new pendants in our Etsy shop, Afghan Tribal Arts.

Kazakh Vintage Pendant: Filigree over Glass.

Vintage Kuchi Silver Pendant: Seed Beads and Glass

Vintage Turkman Pendant: Gold Leaf and Black Onyx

These pendants are wonderful accent pieces.  Large, bold, and eye catching they finish off a simple outfit beautifully.  Visit our Etsy shop or Sturee Tribal Village for more wonderful treasures from Afghanistan and the region.

Happy New Year or Naway Kal De Mubarak

Listen to the Tune of Peace in 2011

Naway Kal De Mubarak is how we welcome the New Year in Afghanistan, literally meaning "Have a blessed New Year."

The two string instruments at the right in the photo above are rubabs (or rababs), Afghanistan's oldest instrument.  Enjoy the video below by one of our late masters (cd available on the Smithsonian label).  We have three rubabs at our gallery, ranging around $300-$500. 

 

Sold on Etsy! Kuchi Beaded Bodice Panel

 

Kuchi Beaded Panel

This salvaged beaded piece would have been worn on a dress which probably wore out.  It was cut out and saved for all of the hand work.  This sold in our Etsy shop and is on its way to Tennessee!  Visit our shop for similar pieces.

Afghan Tribal Arts at the International Gem and Jewelry Show in Chicago

Afghan Tribal Arts with a gorgeous Lapis Lazuli display.

Afghan Tribal Arts is the sister business of Sturee Tribal Village, importing beads, textiles and other handmade crafts from Afghanistan and the region since the 1980's.  As a wholesale business, Afghan Tribal Arts services galleries and attends bead shows throughout the Midwest and SouthEast of the United States.  Those of you who are in the Chicago area have the opportunity to attend the current show:

International Gem 

and Jewelry Show
 

DONALD E. STEPHENS

CONVENTION CENTER

5555 North River Road

Rosemont, IL 60018

DECEMBER 10-12, 2010

SHOW HOURS:

Friday       12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Saturday   10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Sunday     11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Tickets:    One low ticket price good for all three days! Tickets are $8.00 per person. You can purchase tickets at the show. [Cash only]

Holiday Shopping Galore! The International Gem & Jewelry Show at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center provides an all-in-one gift shopping jewelry showcase. From $5.00 to $500,000 ⬠there is surely something to please even the most hard-to-buy-for person on your list!

The International Gem & Jewelry Show is one of the largest exhibitions of gems, minerals and jewelry in the world. With over 300 exhibitors, the show features wonderful jewelry from all over the world⬠¦one-of-a-kind jewelry creations, gorgeous wedding bands and engagement rings, exotic gems, beads, exquisite fine jewelry, watches, estate collections and much more. We offer convenience, selection and value, all in one place.

***NEW SHOW POLICY - CHILDREN 8 & UNDER NOT PERMITTED***

Afghan Tribal Arts:  Booth 7007

Afghan Tribal Arts specializes in natural, hand carved beads made from semi-precious stones from Afghanistan.  These beads support artisans and their families, many who were displaced during the war with Russia.  Afghanistan is rich in minerals and bead lovers appreciate the depth and richness of color found in the many variations of lapis lazuli, jade, carnelian, onyx and many other stones.  The inventory has also grown to include natural beads from other parts of Asia and Africa.

Beads are not the only treasures you will find at the show.  Afghan Tribal Arts also has a huge collection of vintage and antique tribal and ethnic jewelry.

 Turkman Cuff from Afghan Tribal Arts

If you are out shopping for hard to find items, you will surely find a pendant, necklace or bracelet for that special woman!   All of the tribal groups in Afghanistan have ancient traditions that have defined their metal work: Turkman, Hazara, Pashtun....  gorgeous silver and old stones and beads!

The show starts today and ends on Sunday.  Mention this post to Abdul and the kids and get 10% off of your purchase.  

Happy Holidays!

New Central Asian Textiles on Etsy!

Turkmen Ceremonial Vest for a Child

Afghan Tribal Arts has had an Etsy shop for awhile now, but only recently have we started to seriously stock it.  We're up to about 70 items now, working through a bin of textiles and beads.  It takes time to get things up there: photographing, editing the photos, writing up descriptions, but as the selection increases, the shop truly emerges as a place of beauty.  There is now a nice selection of beads and vintage tribal jewelry like the necklace below:

 Kuchi Necklace from Afghanistan

And, we have some nice textiles up and more to list.  For those of you who like to sew, you might be interested in the dress inserts like this one:

Salvaged nomadic dress yoke from Afghanistan.

Several tribes in Afghanistan share a basic dress pattern:  an ornamental yoke like the one above, with flowing bell sleeves and pleated skirt.  Matching "genie" pants finish the outfit.  The cuffs of both sleeves and pants are normally heavily embroidered to match the yoke.  As the cotton fabric wears out of the dress and pants, these embroidered pieces are salvaged and incorporated into new outfits, sometimes lasting through several generations.  These salvaged pieces have obvious interest in the textile community as they are often wonderful samples of intricate needlework.  The piece above, for example, is heavily embroidered with metallic thread.

We are friends with the people at Folkwear, a pattern company in Asheville, North Carolina.  They have a pattern for an Afghan dress that would work well with these yokes:

Folkwear Pattern for Afghan Dress

If you make one, make sure to send us a picture of you in it and we will post it on our blog!

Then, there are some beautiful beaded pieces that can also be incorporated into clothing or pillows or framed or.......  You will know what to do with them!

 Beaded Kuchi Accessory

The triangle is considered to be a powerful talisman against the evil eye all over Central Asia.  This beaded piece would be worn on a garment or even attached to animal trappings.  It is made of woven glass seed beads and then finished with twisted cotton threads.

Oh, there are many other beautiful things there and coming soon!  Do visit our shop and check back as we keep on listing more things in the upcoming weeks!  And, if you are familiar with what Afghan Tribal Arts and Sturee Tribal Village carry, feel free to leave comments with requests.  If we have it in stock, we will do our best to get it listed!

The Beauty of Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan

by Abdul Wardak

Lapis lazuli has had a long, long history of being one of the most sought after stones in Central Asia.  In the Middle Ages, it was ground up and used as a pigment to paint on illuminated manuscripts.  In Ancient Egypt it was known as the "Blue Gold".  Cleopatra used it as make-up and it has been found in archeological sites as paint applied to walls.

Today, lapis is only found naturally in Afghanistan and Chile.  If you hear about a tiny little mine somewhere with a lapis vein, let us know.  We would love to hear about it!

Sturee Tribal Village carries a huge selection of lapis beads, all natural, hand carved and polished in various sheens.  Leather is often used as a finishing tool on these pieces.

 Hand carved lapis lazuli beads available at 

Sturee Tribal Village.

In the mid-1980's, lapis lazuli was over-mined in Afghanistan to generate income to the locals.  It was also used to finance the resistance against the Soviet Union's occupation. Lapis has also been a favorite stone used by tribal jewelers for centuries.  Sturee Tribal Village has a great selection of pendants, cuffs, rings and earrings, both old and new, representing many of the traditions of Central Asia.

 Tribal Pendants at Sturee Tribal Village

Visit or call us for more information on our selection of lapis lazuli beads and jewelry.

864-556-5101