{"product_id":"the-olive-tree-of-the-holy-land-mosaic","title":"Olive Tree Mosaic","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe Tree That Has Witnessed Everything\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe olive tree is the oldest living symbol of the Holy Land. Some of the olive trees still standing in Jordan and Palestine today were rooted in the earth before the Byzantine churches of Madaba were built. This piece distills that permanence into stone — a single tree, unhurried and full, rendered by hand in the city that has been making art this way for fifteen centuries.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Design\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the center of this circular mosaic stands a \u003cstrong\u003emature olive tree\u003c\/strong\u003e in full canopy, its branches spreading wide and unhurried across a pure cream-white field. The foliage is rendered in \u003cstrong\u003eteal, blue-green, and sage\u003c\/strong\u003e, with individual leaves carefully shaped and layered to give the canopy depth and movement. Scattered throughout the branches are \u003cstrong\u003esmall dark olives\u003c\/strong\u003e — the quiet, unassuming fruit that has fed, lit, and anointed the people of this land for thousands of years. The trunk is broad and deeply rooted, rising from a \u003cstrong\u003ewarm amber and golden ground\u003c\/strong\u003e that suggests the dry, sun-baked earth of the Levant. The composition is still and centered — there is no drama here, only presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the biblical and Byzantine tradition, the olive tree carried meaning that went far beyond agriculture. It was the tree beneath which wisdom was believed to rest, the source of the oil used to anoint kings and consecrate sacred spaces, and — most enduringly — a symbol of \u003cstrong\u003epeace, resilience, and divine favor\u003c\/strong\u003e. The olive branch carried by the dove to Noah was not chosen arbitrarily; the olive was already the tree most associated with covenant and restoration. In the Holy Land, where this mosaic was made, the olive tree is not a symbol. It is a fact of the landscape, and has been for millennia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe border is composed of two concentric rings. The inner ring is a \u003cstrong\u003ebraided interlace in gold, rust, teal, and dark brown\u003c\/strong\u003e — the classic Byzantine ribbon pattern. The outer ring is a bold \u003cstrong\u003egeometric checkerboard\u003c\/strong\u003e in brown, white, and deep teal accents, one of the signature border treatments of the Madaba School. Together they frame the tree the way a courtyard wall frames a garden: with structure that honors what it contains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e✦\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e15.75\" H x 15.75\" W x 1\" D (40 × 40 × 2.5 cm)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e✦\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e1.77 lb\u003cbr\u003e✦\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003eShape:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"ng-star-inserted\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eCircular\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat You're Getting\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e✦ \u003cstrong\u003e100% handmade\u003c\/strong\u003e — assembled stone by stone by Madaba artisans\u003cbr\u003e✦ \u003cstrong\u003eNatural stone tesserae\u003c\/strong\u003e — no plastic, resin, or machine-cut pieces\u003cbr\u003e✦ \u003cstrong\u003eOne of a kind\u003c\/strong\u003e — slight natural variations in stone color are part of its authenticity\u003cbr\u003e✦ \u003cstrong\u003eReady to hang\u003c\/strong\u003e — wall-hanging hardware included\u003cbr\u003e✦ Carefully packed for safe international shipping\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Tradition Behind It\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMadaba's mosaicists have drawn from the natural world of the Holy Land since the earliest Byzantine floors were laid in the 5th and 6th centuries — trees, birds, vines, and animals rendered in stone as acts of both artistry and witness. The olive tree appears throughout the excavated floors of the region because it was everywhere: in the groves, in the scripture, in daily life. This piece continues that conversation, made by hands in the same city, in the same medium, with the same intent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEach mosaic is unique. Dimensions and stone coloring may vary slightly from the photo shown.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gallerie Levant","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48228689674397,"sku":null,"price":729.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0669\/2513\/3981\/files\/olive-tree-main.jpg?v=1778561668","url":"https:\/\/gallerielevant.com\/products\/the-olive-tree-of-the-holy-land-mosaic","provider":"Gallerie Levant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}