Mother of Pearl

In a narrow alley in the old Islamic area of Cairo is a small workshop; more like an alcove, with a small workbench. It is not a place tourists would come across, there is no store; however merchants from Khan El-Khalili Bazaar may peruse the assortment of boxes on the few shelves surrounding the workbench. Father and son work here together, carefully placing the small pieces of mother-of-pearl and camel bone into intricate inlaid patterns on wooden boxes. The son, in his 30's, points out that one of the boxes is made of fruitwood and proudly demonstrates how well the carefully chosen piano inges work. While a box is open he also indicates how well the box has been lined with velvet. When complimented on its beauty he humbly admits that he only works on the less ornate boxes made primarily of camel bone. His father is the master craftsman - he is the apprentice. This generation heritage of craftsmanship still survives in Egypt. This is where our mother-of-pearl jewelry boxes, with their luminous beauty, are made.