Handcarved African Soapstone Hanukkah Menorah

Make your menorah modern for this year's Hanukkah with this sleek soapstone piece of art!  Hand carved by African craftsmen, this menorah is an elegant way to illuminate each night of Hanukkah.  Holds nine standard menorah candles. A bright night if we ever saw one! Due to the handmade nature, each candle hole may not be uniform. Candles not included.  

Product Features :

• Handcarved by artisans in Kenya. Natural soapstone mineral colors. Product colors can vary greatly due to the variations in the colors of the mineral.
• Socially responsible product assortments that is empowering consumers to purchase according to their values and help alleviate poverty.
• Fair Trade is so much more than a product assortment. It's about safe workplaces, fair wages + community investment for factory employees.
• Country of Origin: Kenya
• Style: Menorah
• Materials: Soapstone
• Dimensions: Measures approximately 12 x 2.5 x 6 inches.

Artisan Story:

Our Soapstone is carved by the artists of SMOLArt a group of artists who live in the rural village of Tabaka, Kenya, the heart of soapstone crafts. The name, a shortened version of Small, Medium, and Large Artists, refers to the size of the soapstone products the artisans make, not their stature. Established in 1990, SMOLArt is a member of the WFTO, and as such assures that the artisans are paid a fair price for their work. In addition, the organization support community development by contributing to projects that improve living conditions, education, and health of their members and the village at large.  Soapstone is mined from great pits in the area surrounding Kiisi, Kenya. The mined soapstone is then delivered to carvers who carve sculptures from the natural stone for the wholesale market, the color of which ranges from cream, to pink, to brown, to yellow, to black, to a marbling of all of them. Once carved, the craftspeople smooth rough edges of the soapstone with sandpaper dipped in water and polish the piece to a high gloss or paint African motifs in brilliant colors with etched accents.   All of the soapstone products we sell are completely handmade. The tools consist of household items from screwdrivers, hand drills, to switchblades. "Pangas," sword-like tools usually used for cutting down vegetation, are used to cleave the stone in the mines.