"Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!" Judges 9:8
Ancient olive wood is not only very beautiful, but it is also a truly sustainable resource. Although olive trees live for hundreds of years, they eventually stop producing olives and are then classed as ancient. Their trunks and branches become thick, gnarled and twisted, and it is this wood that is used in the creation of beautiful wooden artifacts. The age of the tree helps to create the unique grain patterns that make these items so individual. No two items fashioned from olive wood can ever be identical. In addition, the wood is hard, very strong and durable and has natural anti-bacterial qualities that make it ideal in the production of kitchen utensils, jewellery, tableware and gifts. It is the perfect material for eco-friendly wooden gifts and the perfect thing to consider for fifth wedding anniversary gift ideas!
We have a number of items in our Olive Wood range that can be personalised with with a logo, name or short message. These items are indicated with this personalisation icon:
Italy's cultural richness is undisputed. From art and architecture to food and fashion, Italian craftsmanship has mesmerized the world for centuries. Among its many traditional arts, the craft of making hand-painted ceramics holds a special place. Rooted deeply in various regions of Italy, this art form has evolved over time, adapting to changing tastes while retaining its core ethos.
Olive wood boardsThe most popular chopping boards are made from olive wood, and with good reason. Olive wood, if cared for properly, will take any amount of hard work and will last a lifetime. It is also a truly sustainable, eco-friendly product.
On top of this, olive wood has natural anti-bacterial properties making it ideal for food preparation.
Olive wood boards come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some styled and suited especially for filleting meat, others for salami and even one for slicing bread. The olive wood bread board has a tray with a slotted board resting inside it enabling all the crumbs to fall into the tray.
Wooden kitchen utensils are an essential part of any kitchen and olive wood produces ideal rustic kitchen products. Olive wood makes perfect food preparation utensils as it is hard wearing and has natural, eco-friendly, anti-bacterial properties. When it comes to preparing and chopping herbs and spices, olive wood kitchen utensils cannot be beaten.
An olive wood pestle and mortar is a prized possesion in many Italian kitchens and they come in different shapes and sizes. A small one is sufficient for grinding down spices but for preparing large amounts of freshly grown basil for pesto, the larger the better. An olive wood pestle and mortar is usually made in the traditional, angular shape and a more rounded, smooth shape.
Another popular olive wood herb chopping kitchen utensil is a mezzaluna, which chops herbs quickly and efficiently to retain the freshness and flavour.
Olive wood looks rustic and beautiful as part of a table setting, either inside or eating outside for 'al fresco' dining. All olive wood chopping boards can be dual purpose and as well as for food preparation in the kitchen they can be used for serving meats and cheeses at the table. In addition there are many traditionally designed olive wood boards for cheeses, salami and bread, many of which come with a matching knife. Why not consider one of these for a fifth wedding anniversary gift.
Salad never looks better than when served in an olive wood salad bowl and these come in many different sizes from around 50cm in diameter down to small rustic, wooden bowls for individual servings. An 'Aperitivo' is an important part of any meal in Italy and there are numerous olive wood bowls, dishes and unusual olive wood aperitivo sets available for serving olives, nuts, chunks of Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, all of which make perfect olive wood gifts.
Olive wood is has one of the most beautiful grains and makes beautiful bowls which look perfect in any room in the house. Most of these olive wood bowls are hand carved from a single piece of ancient olive wood and make a beautiful receptacle for fruit. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and some olive wood bowls have handles and others have a very rustic appearance.
Olive oil is at the core of Italy and of the Mediterranean lifestyle, and olive trees can be found in abundance all over the region. Olive oil is still considered sacred in many parts of the world and is widely used in religious ceremonies. An olive branch has long been considered as a symbol of peace, and the Romans used an olive wreath as a symbol of victory.
All in all, over many thousands of years, the olive tree has symbolised peace, wisdom, glory, fertility, power and purity.
The cultivation of olive trees in Italy is thought to have started in Sicily around 700BC. From there, they spread across Italy and were well established in Roman times. Olive oil became so valuable that the Romans sometimes collected it as taxes. Pliny the Elder wrote about an olive tree growing in the centre of the Roman Forum. The oldest known olive tree in Europe is in Sardinia. Known as 'The Ozzastru' in the Sard language, it is reputedly nearly 4,000 years old.
"My order arrived yesterday, which was a lot faster than I expected since it was coming from Italy. The packaging was well done and nothing was damaged in transit. The olive wood bowls are beautiful! Just magnificent! I admire both the beauty of the wood and the craftsmanship required to make them. My experience with your company has been very good, especially since I was a little nervous about buying goods from overseas - a lot can go wrong, but it did not. In fact, everything went very well indeed. "
Ashley C. (USA)
"I have just received the goods I ordered from Italy Gifts Direct. I am absolutely delighted with the olive wood cheese boards made specially after I put in my order and with the beautiful olive wood beads too. The ceramics are so pretty as well. Everything came wrapped up very carefully and the delivery service was perfect with the goods arriving much quicker than I expected. Polly's customer care is second to none - she was able to speak to the craft artists about some special requests I had and everything was arranged swiftly and efficiently. Polly kept me very well informed about each step. I would certainly recommend Italy Gifts Direct to others and hope to use their services myself again before too long. Very many thanks."
Nancy B. (UK)
"Ordering two Christmas gifts from Italy Gifts Direct this past season has been one of the nicest experiences I have had for years. From the first moment I discovered the website I could see that this was something special. And when the gorgeous, hand-carved bowls arrived here in the USA, in time for Christmas (just as promised!), I was more than right! Two lovely and quite different pieces, carved especially for my order, beautifully made, beautifully finished, packed to withstand the bomb, and with thorough instructions on their care. Needless to say, the recipients are thrilled! In this era of slipshod merchandise - plastic, fiberboard, or otherwise - these beautiful bowls will live forever, just as beautiful as they are now. Polly was marvellous at keeping me informed of their progress, and handled all of the import paperwork as well. Wonderful!"
Jennifer W. (USA)
