Siba Sahabi - Tea Dance

How lovely are these finely shaped vessels? Composed of cut, rolled, and glued wallpaper strips by Siba Sahabi of Amsterdam, they're an homage to the Moroccan 'tea dance' of days past. The graceful lines conjure up thoughts of slow motion in a sultry locale. While on a visit to northern Africa, Siba learned about the custom in which a polite hostess, her daughters, or servants would perform dances as entertainment for guests who had been invited for tea. As an example of Eastern culture inspiring Western culture, the custom traveled from Africa to Paris, London, and then America in the 1920s and '30s. Because Siba, the daughter of an Iranian father and German mother, was raised in a home where tea drinking was associated with hospitality, the custom had personal meaning for her. She was inspired to create contemporary designs that reflect remnants of the past.Tea Dance is currently on display through May 8 at Craft2eu's Paperficial exhibition in Hamburg, Germany.

photography by Karin Nussbaumer