African Painted Metal Lion Zimbabwe Fair Trade

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Handpainted Metal Lion In a country where it is nearly impossible to buy a loaf of bread, artisans, no, "entrepreneurs" eke out a living by making unique crafts. Started in Harare, Zimbabwe by Simba Dominic Mushati, an artisan who carves beautiful wood sculptures, Mutenga Arts and Crafts finds international markets for individual artisans who no longer can rely on sales to tourists. Dominic creatively navigates through the quagmire of Zimbabwe's economy to pay a fair price to the artisans, consolidate shipments and ensure the quality of the products. Products arrive in perfect condition from a country where shipments are delayed because there is no fuel for the plane. One needs to marvel not only on the exquisiteness of the piece, but also at the triumph of getting it here. An e-mail saying that the shipment of metal animals is delayed because there are no steel sheets available in Zimbabwe, makes this piece all that much more precious. Using shears, pliers and other basic tools, individual artisans work with heavy sheets of metal, tin cans, steel wire and beads to make whimsical animals with colors bearing no resemblance to reality. Artisans take for granted the five day bus trip to Zambia or Botswana to buy materials--it's all part of their work. This type of art is often referred to as slum art as the artisans work independently read more

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