{"id":6616,"date":"2026-06-03T14:34:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babmsr.com\/en\/?p=6616"},"modified":"2026-06-03T14:34:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:34:29","slug":"between-children-and-grandchildren-hajah-mahasen-shields-the-palm-frond-craft-from-extinction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/babmsr.com\/en\/2026\/06\/03\/between-children-and-grandchildren-hajah-mahasen-shields-the-palm-frond-craft-from-extinction\/","title":{"rendered":"Between Children and Grandchildren: Hajah Mahasen Shields the Palm-Frond Craft from Extinction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hajah Mahasen Shaker, guards her family&#8217;s ancestral palm-frond wickerwork craft from modernity in Luxor, passing the sustainable heritage down to her grandchildren<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fronting the home she erected with the patient accumulation of years, surrounded by her five children and a constellation of grandchildren, she gazes upon them with an expansive, contented joy. She has bestowed upon them the ancestral craft. Now, her hands grasp a crescent-shaped iron blade known as the <em>hilal<\/em> (crescent tool), slicing through palm fronds to splinter them into the neat components of produce crates. Though a persistent ache throbs in her feet, she refuses to yield to time. This is Hajah Mahasen Shaker. At 76, she remains the steadfast anchor of a <em>jarid<\/em> (palm-frond wickerwork) tradition inherited directly from her father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">\u2018This Craft Courses Through My Veins\u2019<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis craft courses through my veins; I learned it from my father, who in turn absorbed it from his grandfather,\u201d Hajah Mahasen reflects, her voice rhythmic as she splinters the stalks. \u201cI began this labor at fourteen, which means my hands have shaped this wood for sixty-two years. My feet may ache, but I cannot simply cease. This trade reared me, raised my children, and built our homes. It ensured we never had to beg a soul for bread.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She continues: \u201cMy five children tried to coax me into retirement because of my advanced age, but I rejected the idle life. For me, to sit without work is a kind of death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deep within the southern enclave of Armant al-Hait, southwest of Luxor, the Yousef Hassan family has preserved the secrets of palm frond wickerwork for decades. In defiance of modernity\u2019s relentless march, this household guards a majestic heritage, maintaining an ancestral lineage and a singular identity long after most of its practitioners have abandoned the trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Relying entirely on manual precision and dexterity, the craft serves as the living memory of a family led by a septuagenarian matriarch, who has never once considered deserting her heritage since her very first day at the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-d05cb3ef wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-3-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f 3\" class=\"wp-image-6617\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-3-390x220.jpg 390w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-3-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One of Hajah Mahasen\u2019s sons &#8211; Photo: Abo El-Hassan Abd Elsattar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" src=\"https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-4-1536x864-1.jpg\" alt=\"\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f 4 1536x864\" class=\"wp-image-6618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-4-1536x864-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-4-1536x864-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-4-1536x864-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-4-1536x864-1-390x220.jpg 390w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-4-1536x864-1-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/\u0627\u0644\u062c\u0631\u064a\u062f-4-1536x864-1.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Hajah Mahasen\u2019s son shapes the raw fronds &#8211; &#8211; Photo: Abo Elhassan Abd Elsattar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">The Architecture of the Palm Bed<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRight now, I am crafting the structural ribs for guava crates,\u201d Shaker explains. \u201cThe bulk of our demand here centers on fruit crates, specifically for guavas and mangoes. We also fashion traditional family beds and <em>kifayat<\/em> (poultry coops) designed to protect livestock. A single coop demands half a day of focused labor, spanning dawn until noon, while a pair consumes an entire day&#8217;s work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She adds: \u201cAs for the twin frames of a bed, they require a full day of undivided attention.\u201d She notes a resurgent appetite for these <em>jarid<\/em> beds, which locals prefer over standard wooden frames for sleeping under the open night sky, a preference that extends to custom-made chairs and tables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur hours dictate themselves by the volume of orders,\u201d she observes. \u201cWe begin our rituals at the strike of four in the morning, working until eight. After a brief interlude of rest, we resume from midday until the sunset call to prayer echoes across the fields.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She pauses, looking back: \u201cThe past was entirely different from today. Once, the practitioners of this art were legion. But time brought plastic crates and alternative commodities, and as standards of living shifted, people turned away from palm products. The market withered, and the craftsmen vanished. Yet, a slow repatriation to the craft has begun, particularly regarding agricultural crates. The plastic variants simply could not endure the brutal rigors of transport, forcing the merchants to return to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">A Natural Ally for the Harvest<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Obeid Yousef Hassan, one of Hajah Mahasen\u2019s sons, has dedicated fifteen years to the family trade. He admits the craft hovered on the precipice of extinction, yet notes a recent renaissance fueled by the skyrocketing cost of timber, especially within rural villages that still anchor their domestic lives around palm-frond beds and crates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He maintains that produce merchants openly favor these artisanal crates for their sheer utility, resilience, and longevity compared to their plastic counterparts. Furthermore, they possess the virtue of easy repair, whereas a fractured plastic crate becomes instant waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He elaborates that palm fronds preserve the integrity of fruits and vegetables because they are born of nature, allowing air to circulate freely, unlike plastic, which suffocates the harvest by trapping heat and moisture. Beyond utility, the frond remains a biodegradable material that dissolves back into the earth, a stark contrast to the environmental blight of synthetic products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06211.jpg\" alt=\"IMG 06211\" class=\"wp-image-6619\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06211-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06211-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06211-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06211.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06252.jpg\" alt=\"IMG 06252\" class=\"wp-image-6620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06252-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06252-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06252-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/d312rsy2t5cgen.cloudfront.net\/2026\/06\/IMG_06252.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The crafting of palm-frond crates &#8211; Photo: Abo Elhassan Abdel-Elsattar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Reshaping Modern Minds<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Karam Yousef Hassan Mohamed, another son of the household, has spent roughly a decade and a half immersed in the trade he inherited from his parents. He points out that within the entire expanse of Armant, only his family and one other household still practice the craft, which was once a foundational village industry. Today, it has retreated entirely from the cities, finding its last refuge in rural pockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe harvest our raw material from Qamula, west of Luxor,\u201d Karam explains. \u201cA single frond costs three Egyptian pounds, and we order them by the thousands, investment batches of about three thousand pounds. They arrive at our doorstep prepped for immediate manipulation.\u201d He emphasizes that the survival of this legacy depends entirely on reshaping the consciousness of younger generations, encouraging a return to organic materials and the preservation of traditional artisanal wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">The Stages of Transformation<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Karam details how the raw palm frond undergoes an exacting metamorphosis. The ritual commences with the selection of prime fronds, judged meticulously by length and thickness. They are then cured under the baking sun to attain maximum rigidity, without forfeiting the vital elasticity required for shaping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following this curing, the artisan utilizes the <em>hilal<\/em> to slice the wood into various strips customized to the task at hand. Then begins the intricate stage of manual weaving and assembly, a phase entirely dependent on the craftsman&#8217;s muscle memory and experience to anchor and align the lattice, whether for a crate, a bed, or a livestock coop. These steps, he warns, may appear deceptive in their simplicity, yet they demand immense patience and profound expertise; a single miscalculation can unravel the entire labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hajah Mahasen Shaker, guards her family&#8217;s ancestral palm-frond wickerwork craft from modernity in Luxor, passing the sustainable heritage down to her grandchildren Fronting the home she erected with the patient accumulation of years, surrounded by her five children and a constellation of grandchildren, she gazes upon them with an expansive, contented joy. She has bestowed &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[4452,4450,4448,4449,4451],"class_list":["post-6616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-upper-egypt","tag-handmade-produce-crates","tag-historical-craft-preservation","tag-palm-frond-craft","tag-rural-egyptian-artisans","tag-sustainable-basket-weaving"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Between Children and Grandchildren: Hajah Mahasen Shields the Palm-Frond Craft from Extinction - BabMasr<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Hajah Mahasen Shaker, guards her family&#039;s ancestral palm-frond wickerwork craft from modernity in Luxor, passing the sustainable heritage down to her grandchildren.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/babmsr.com\/en\/2026\/06\/03\/between-children-and-grandchildren-hajah-mahasen-shields-the-palm-frond-craft-from-extinction\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Between Children and Grandchildren: Hajah Mahasen Shields the Palm-Frond Craft from Extinction - 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