A Metal as Old as Civilisation
Long before the world knew mass production — before machines replaced hands — there was the craftsman. Patient, precise, and proud.
Among the greatest of these craftsmen were the Phoenicians: the seafaring civilisation that flourished along the eastern Mediterranean coast, in the land we now call Lebanon.
The Phoenicians gave the world its alphabet. They charted unknown seas and established trading posts from Carthage to Cornwall. But among their most enduring gifts was their mastery of materials — glass, dyed fabric, carved ivory, and above all, pewter.
The Phoenician Legacy of Pewter
Pewter — an alloy composed primarily of tin, with traces of copper and antimony — was one of the most prized materials of the ancient world. Its silvery sheen, its warmth to the touch, and its extraordinary workability made it the material of choice for objects both sacred and everyday: oil lamps, drinking vessels, ritual offerings, and decorative pieces traded across the known world.
The Phoenicians understood something that modern design has had to relearn: the objects we live with carry meaning. A well-made vessel is not merely functional — it is a statement of beauty, of care, of civilisation itself.
Pewter travelled with Phoenician ships along every trade route, from the ports of Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre to the markets of Greece, Egypt, and Rome. It was one of the ancient world’s most international materials — shaped in Lebanon, admired everywhere.
Three Thousand Years of Craft
From antiquity through the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, pewter remained a prestige material. European guilds of pewterers held positions of honour in their cities. Pewter tableware graced the tables of royalty and the altars of churches. The craft demanded skill, patience, and an intimate knowledge of the metal — how it responds to heat, to pressure, to the human hand.
Then came industrialisation. Machine-made objects flooded the world. Many ancient crafts quietly disappeared.
But not entirely. Not everywhere. Not in Lebanon.
The Living Craft
In the hands of a small number of dedicated artists, the ancient art of pewter survived — not as a museum piece, not as a curiosity, but as a living, evolving practice.
Today, pewter artisans continue the tradition of the Phoenicians: working by hand, transforming raw metal into objects of beauty, and connecting the modern home to three thousand years of human craft.
To hold a piece of handcrafted pewter is to hold that history. The surface bears the marks of the hand that shaped it. No two pieces are ever identical. Each one is unique — as every truly handmade object must be.
Latifa Art: Where the Tradition Continues
Latifa El Hachem founded Latifa Art in Beirut in 2002, driven by a challenge she set for herself: to create life and beauty from something cold and sober.
Pewter, with its cool weight and quiet surface, seemed at first an unlikely canvas for warmth. That tension is exactly what drew her to it.
Over more than two decades, Latifa has developed a body of pewter work that honours the ancient craft while speaking the language of contemporary living — decorative mirrors, wall art, console pieces, and sculptural objects that belong as naturally in a modern interior as they would in a Phoenician merchant’s home three thousand years ago.
Every piece made at the Latifa Art atelier is entirely handcrafted. No moulds, no shortcuts, no two pieces alike. Each object is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity — a gesture of respect to the buyer, to the craft, and to the long line of craftsmen who kept this tradition alive across the centuries.
Pewter for the Modern Home
Over time, it develops a gentle patina that only adds to its character. It does not rust. It does not tarnish harshly. It lives with you, quietly and gracefully, acquiring the marks of a life well lived alongside it.
At Latifa Art, pewter pieces are designed to be part of your home — not displayed behind glass, but touched, used, and loved.
The Thread That Connects Us
When I first touched pewter, I didn’t choose it. It chose me.
There was something in the weight of it — the cool, quiet resistance of the metal — that felt ancient and alive at the same time. Twenty years later, every piece I create carries that same feeling: the weight of history, the discipline of craft, and the belief that beauty built by hand lasts.
The Phoenicians mapped the Mediterranean. They gave us the alphabet we still write with today. And in Lebanon, their tradition of turning metal into beauty continues — one handcrafted piece at a time.
Explore the Pewter Collection
[View the Pewter Collection → latifaart.com/pewter]
For commissions and international inquiries:
info@latifaart.com
Lebanon: +961 76 435750
Instagram: @latifaartofficial
info@latifaart.com
Lebanon: +961 76 435750
Instagram: @latifaartofficial
