The ability to travel; this is what we, here in Astarte, consider the most precious luxury of the modern western lifestyle. We are lucky to be able to travel. And we are lucky to be able to discover; different cultures, different ways of living, different ways of loving. Can a culture be reflected in an object? The choice of colours, of patterns, of materials all have a link to the maker, to their land, to their way of living. Can an object become the bridge between different worlds? The small colourful basket that Charity weaved in Accra now holds the toys of little Alex in Paris. Let's take a moment to think of the person that originally created what we are now holding in our hands. Artisanship brightens up our personal spaces while it can enable the artisan to make a better living. Sounds like a win-win to us - and that's why we decided to embark on our little ad-venture! We want to share our discoveries with you, learn to appreciate the techniques and materials and cherish this seashell cushion that took sixteen hours to sew and on which you now comfortably lean on while enjoying your Sunday coffee. Our aspiration is that, as we grow, we will eventually give back more to our network of artisans through sponsorships of training, continuous education programs or contributions to local organisations working for their communities' growth and prosperity.
...and what does ''Astarte'' mean?
Astarte, pronounced /əˈstɑːrtiː/, was an ancient deity worshipped by the Phoenicians. A powerful figure, she was linked to both love and war. She was allegedly the inspiration for the goddess Aphrodite of ancient Greece - aka Venus for the Romans - andfor the goddess Isis of ancient Egypt.
We chose her name because it represents what seems to us a universal truth of life: that love and war may at times co-exist, same as beauty and flaws, happiness and hardship.
We do not believe in perfect lives, we do not believe in perfect places.
We do believe in the magic a single piece can bring into our space creating a bridge with another culture, another family, another home.
Welcome to our Astarte Home!
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