Novica Handmade Merin Sesa Da Wood Sculpture

Ghanaian artisan Cynthia Danquah names this romantic sculpture Merin Sesa Da, meaning "I won't change"" in Akan. Carved by hand from sese wood, two lovers share an intimate kiss. Their bodies are creatively carved into curved, tapered shapes. Product Features: Dimension: 11.25"" H x 6"" W x 2.2"" D Weight: 0.97 Color: Black Material: Sese wood Made in Ghana Story Behind the art: Latest Update ""Being in this craft and bead-making business has made me a better, more supportive wife to my husband. He is so proud of what I am doing and the financial support I assist with in our kids' education and home. This improvement in my business came when I joined Novica in 2010. I felt successful when we moved from our old residence to a more comfortable home. ""At the early stage in business, I faced the challenge of meeting the right customers. It was very difficult for me to meet the larger market or even to export my products abroad, and I had to lower prices in order to not lose customers. Thanks to Novica my works are worldwide now, and I have been able to maximize my scale in production and employed assistants to help in production. I still work at the Aburi craft village, but I have a better shop than before. My dream is to travel the world and share my talents. ""The lovely customers at Novica have really brought me far in my journey, and all I can say is I wish them God's blessing. The Danquah family will forever be grateful for this opportunity."" Original Artist Story I am an Akuapim woman from Aburi, one of the most beautiful places in Ghana. We have a great landscape rich with plant life and we're known for one of the finest wood markets. I love this town and I've lived here for most of my life. I had a pleasant childhood until age 12, when my father passed. Life as I knew it changed and became difficult. My mother, at the time a homemaker, was suddenly the sole breadwinner and provider of eight children with no steady income. In spite of the difficulties faced, I was able to successfully complete junior and senior high school through hard work and determination. After senior high school, I held different jobs with the aim of earning a living until I got married in 2008. My husband is Eric Danquah, a wood mask artisan who has long been a Novica featured artist. Eric introduced me to the world of arts and crafts as I helped him sell his products. My husband dabbled in bead making - a skill he learned from a sister who used to share his workshop with him. After she left town for personal reasons, customers still requested her beads. He identified this as an opportunity and started to stock beads from friends who sold their beads at other markets. Eric also strung beads as bracelets and necklaces to add up to the necklaces he retailed for other jewelers. When we got married, he started teaching me every evening after work while we relaxed and chatted. He noticed my love for the beads and how I commented on beads worn by others. I have always loved beads and I also admired the way bead necklaces brighten up anyone who wears them, so learning the art of making them was exciting. I initially started working on simple stringing techniques which I learned from observing the samples we purchased and also from my husband, who had basic knowledge of bead stringing. I observed him string the different beads together and did the same. The handmade touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen. Imported"