| Oil Drum Art - Giraffe - Croix des Bouquets |
 Handcut and hammered wall art with a giraffe and trees design in a natural patina with high gloss varnish finish. The rectangular design is approximately 18 by 11 inches.Artisans in the Croix des Bouquets area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti made this intricate wall piece from recycled oil drums. The material was readily available when Haiti provided reliable labor for many industrialized nations but now with political unrest, few companies operate manufacturing operations in Haiti so oil drums no longer are readily available at the port. What was once free material is now an added cost of maintaining a livelihood for the artisans. Due to the handmade nature of the product the piece purchased may vary slightly from the one pictured. Meet the Artisans When you visit Croix des Bouquets, the area of town known for Haitian metal art in the capital of Port-Au-Prince, you are met with a cacophony of tink, tink, tink as ball peen hammers strike sheets of steel. The sheets are cut from steel drums colored by oil and other liquids the drums at one time held. The process of turning sheets of metal into beautiful wall art is all done by hand, from cutting holes that become edges of trees and leaves, to accenting each lizard with a texture of scales, to painting or lacquering the final design. The artists are proud of their work, signing the pieces on the back side, leaving a raised, reversed signature on the front. åÊ Price: 81.24 |