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About
Rita Addo Zakour demonstrates her creative skills with this delightful African mask. Covered by symmetrical motifs, the face represents a woman, and arises from the artisan's own imagination. She names the piece Obenewaa, a popular girl's name among Ghana's Akan people.
Product details
- 1.87 kgs
- 4.1 lbs
- 46.0 cm H x 27.0 cm W x 7.0 cm D
- 18" H x 10.75" W x 2.8" D
Meet the artist
"I do my designing with African concepts in mind."
Latest Update
"Since I began working with you, I've become a proud artisan. You have helped me grow and improve my designs and their quality. My design skills have evolved and I'm able to bring most of my ideas to life.
"It wasn't easy at the beginning. I might have a great idea for creating a new design but I didn't have enough money to bring it to reality. But thanks to Novica's interest-free micro-credit loans, I can now implement what ever creative idea I have. I no longer depend only on the local market, since you help bring my art to the doorstep of the world.
"I use to worry when we had less tourism here and how to reach them to sell my masks, jewelry and decor objects, but now I'm worry free because of you. I still work from my home where I started, but I now have better tools to help my work improve. I'm also able to train other and give them work when I have more orders. Thanks to your purchases, my children have completed their university studies and and two of them are yet to complete their vocational skill course.
"I appreciate every little comment I get from you because these comments keep me improving. I love you all and am grateful.
Original Artisan Story
""I am a designer by profession. I do my designing with African concepts in mind. Growing up, I loved to sketch things on paper. It was a natural talent, I guess. In high school, I pursued a course in visual arts that helped me develop my natural talent; this made my art studies enjoyable.
"I then attended a secretarial school, and stringing beads helped me generate income to support my education. I sold the beads to friends and students, and their comments encouraged and motivated me to create more designs. Over time, I made more to sell in the local market.
"After completing the secretarial course, my bead-craft became very demanding and I focused my attention on it. I also got into carving as well as developing frame designs for mirrors.
"I started out by creating a lot of designs and worked with a carver to translate my sketches on wood. I started painting them and added the metal plates. I got lots of positive comments on my work, which encouraged me to continue and not give up.
"I'm blessed to be married to a man who is also into arts and crafts, and is a designer as well. We work together. It's wonderful to work in such an environment where a simple design can turn out to be something very unique through the input of my spouse. This makes my designs different from those of other artisans making similar works.
"I find inspiration by opening my eyes wider to see things — in magazines, on TV, on the streets, and all around me.
"Requests for my designs led us to build a workshop at home and have proper supervision of the work. The carvers who collaborate with me use traditional tools. As the demand grows, I'm able to give work to more carvers, which generates more income for them and their families. I sometimes have young men in the community showing an interest in learning how to carve, and they come around to observe. It is possible one or two carvers who show a keen interest can make a career out of this. The workshop also provides local women with a constant supply of wood scraps for cooking. I'm proud to say that, on few occasions, I've chipped in financially to help a couple of children in my neighborhood. These children see me as their second mother and it is a joy to put a smile on their faces.
"With the sale of my jewelry, women in the neighborhood who enjoy stringing beads also get to earn some money when there is an increase in demand. We use mainly wood, recycled aluminum sheets and recycled plastic beads.
"Away from work, I love to be with my family and cook for them. It is such joy having three young ladies at home. With their love for fashion, they help out with stringing the jewelry, sharing their opinions on my designs and also suggesting color combinations for some of my jewelry. My beautiful twins are so interested in the jewelry. They are likely to take up the craft as a full-time profession in future. I commit to teaching them all the skills I've learned. I train and encourage my children to follow their passion just as I followed mine. My hopes and dreams for them are that they can be educated to the highest level and that they find and get established in their passion, and I hope to be a part of this dream by carefully guiding them.
"I am a hardworking, loyal, organized and religious person, and I believe my friends or family would say the same about me. I live by this philosophy, to focus on the positive, not on the negative, and to never give up."
This item was handmade in West Africa by NOVICA artisan borrowers. Kiva lenders have helped these artisans stock up on materials, buy more tools and grow their businesses.
This item qualifies for FREE SHIPPING!
- Only valid on the Normal shipping option for shipments to 48 Lower US states.
- Discounted shipping price may not be applied to previous orders.
This item ships with a free artist storycard, so you can remember who you impacted today. Customized gift messages are also available with every order.
We want you to be 100% satified with your order, so if you are not completely happy with your item, you can return it within 60 days of receiving it.
Return instructions
We pack, ship, certify and 100% guarantee the quality of this item. Watch this video to see how.
This item is available for backorder and will ship within 2 to 4 weeks. Artists love to get backorders. Placing a backorder ensures that the artisan will do their best to create and deliver your item to our local office for shipment.
Although we cannot guarantee availability, we do expect to be able to fill the order within the timeframe indicated. But sometimes life happens - special materials may not be immediately available to the artist, or there might be some other circumstance beyond our control that could delay the shipment.
If for any reason we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will notify you.
This item has a special shipping flat fee which means that due to bulk, duties, or other special requirements, the item will be shipped to you via one of our special one-rate services. Shipping is only available to the United States (lower 48 States only).
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We refer to these items as "discounted wholesale". Such items carry a deeper wholesale discount than other items, and have greater potential to provide your business with healthier resale margins.
Triple 'Win' Pricing
Kiva Store offers triple win pricing, where YOU the consumer, Children from around the world, and Artisans all benefit.
WIN # 1 You Save!
Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. The U.S. Fund for Kiva partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from Kiva Store to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.
WIN # 2 Children Benefit!
Each item purchased from Kiva Store will benefit Kiva's programmes that provide lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more to children in need.
You can learn more about Kiva's work, on About Kiva.
WIN # 3 Artisans Profit!
Kiva Store artisans set their own prices and control their own businesses. Kiva Store offers artisans a free platform to sell their work throughout the United States.
Turn your gift-giving into an art form with our new premium gift wrapping service!
Delivering a beautiful handmade treasure, wrapped by hand in exquisite packaging will make your gifts truly unforgettable.
Above all, it's EASY! Just select the premium gift wrapping option during checkout and we do the rest. No more last minute worries about presentation - your gifts will be the best dressed every time!
Most premium gift wrap is only $3.95 - $5.95 per item.
Triple 'Win' Pricing
Kiva Store offers triple win pricing, where YOU the consumer, Children from around the world, and Artisans all benefit.
WIN # 1 You Save!
Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. The U.S. Fund for Kiva partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from Kiva Store to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.
WIN # 2 Children Benefit!
Each item purchased from Kiva Store will benefit Kiva's programmes that provide lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more to children in need.
You can learn more about Kiva's work, on About Kiva.
WIN # 3 Artisans Profit!
Kiva Store artisans set their own prices and control their own businesses. Kiva Store offers artisans a free platform to sell their work throughout the United States.