Summit League Homes For The Holidays, Saratoga, CA
In 2010, Fiorito Interior Design was chosen to participate in the Summit League's charity event, Homes For The Holidays in Saratoga, California, and was given the challenge of creating an African-themed holiday tree. The open grasslands known as “savanna” and the indigenous cultures of Africa served as inspiration for this stylized tree. Soft yellow lights give the tree a warm glow reminiscent of the golden grasses of—and the sun over—these vast plains.On the tree you see traditional beaded gourds from Kenya, which can also be used as percussion instruments. Carved wooden African animals mingle together as they do on the veldt. Colorfully beaded leather amulets adorned with cowrie shells from West Africa pepper the tree; cowrie shells are used for divination by the Yoruban people of West Africa and have also been used as currency for centuries. Blown glass balls in bronze and copper colors speak to the origin of African metalworking over four thousand years ago. A carved wooden figure of Akuaba from Ghana tops the tree. This style of Akuaba originates from the Ashanti people and is used as both a fertility symbol and general good luck. The tree skirt is genuine hand-woven and hand-dyed mud cloth, or "bogolanfini," from Mali. The name comes from the iron-rich earthen pigments used to dye the classic geometric designs. Packages wrapped in African designs and tied with bows of raffia and cowrie shells wait to be opened under the tree.
Christmas tree