Lifelike Faux Artichokes look like they were freshly picked from the garden. Handcrafted with layers of vibrant green curled leaves shaped, painted and assembled by hand, with long stem, they will look beautiful all year long unlike their real counterparts. Perfect for early Spring or Fall into Winter and Holiday decorating. Lovely paired together on a tray, in a bowl or added to your holiday garlands or centerpieces as we love to do!
DIMENSIONS: 3.25" W x 8" H
CARE & MAINTENANCE: Lightly dust regularly to keep looking fresh, refresh once or twice a year with silk flower spray cleaner
FACTS HISTORY: According to an Aegean legend and praised in song by the poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, the first artichoke was a lovely young girl who lived on the island of Zinari. The god, Zeus was visiting his brother Poseidon one day when, as he emerged from the sea, he spied a beautiful young mortal woman. She did not seem frightened by the presence of a god, and Zeus seized the opportunity to seduce her. He was so pleased with the girl, who’s name was Cynara, that he decided to make her a goddess, so that she could be nearer to his home on Olympia. Cynara agreed to the promotion, and Zeus anticipated the trysts to come, whenever his wife Hera was away. However, Cynara soon missed her mother and grew homesick. She snuck back to the world of mortals for a brief visit. After she returned, Zeus discovered this un-goddess-like behavior. Enraged, he hurled her back to earth and transformed her into the plant we know as the artichoke.
Historians believe that artichokes were cultivated by the Moors in North Africa beginning about 800 A.D., and that the Saracens, another Arab group, introduced artichokes to Italy. This may explain how the Arabic al-qarshuf — meaning "thistle" — became articiocco in Italian and eventually "artichoke" in English.
Their popularity spread, and by the 1500s they were being eaten throughout France. Artichokes originally came to the United States in the early 1800s when French immigrants started growing the vegetable in the Louisiana territory. It wasn't until the early 1900s when the artichoke became a US success.
