Imagine...
... a
box with no apparent way to open it, yet if you know the secret
– you can. One box might take 4 steps, another 54. Now imagine a
store with not a couple, a few, or even a dozen – but nearly
100
of these amazing Japanese
puzzle boxes.
... a
carved wooden jaguar head decorated with over 50,000 beads, each
individually placed, forming intricate patterns. An art form
perfected by the Huichol Indians of Mexico.
... a
tiny basket, so tightly woven that they say it can hold water.
Such are the baskets of the Wounaan Indians of Panama.
... a
sculpture that is half giraffe, half gazelle and just so happens
to be purple and orange. This is the whimsical work known as Alebrijes to the people of Oaxaca, Mexico.
... a gold
lacquer vase that took a master craftsman over a month to
complete. Or a jade sculpture that took 3 months. Or a tiny bottle
with a portrait painted on the inside
Imagine
these items and thousands more, each with a story, waiting to be
discovered. |
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TAGUA CARVINGS FROM ECUADOR
Shop our Carvings from Ecuador - Located
in the northwest portion of Ecuador, a unique venture began called the Tagua
Initiative was formed. This began
in 1990 by Conservation International as a means of creating economic incentives
associated with the tagua palm nut, trying to find a way for the harvests to be
sustained. Because of this
initiative, today we see almost 2,000 people belonging to the Comuna Rio
Santiago-Cayapas, holding down jobs. However,
these jobs depend on the rainforest being left unharmed, allowing the tagua nut
to continue growing. |
TAGUA CARVINGS FROM PANAMA
Shop our Tagua
Carvings - Imported directly
from the Native Indian Artists that created these little masterpieces. Choose
from Animals, Fish, Birds, and Reptiles - all native to the country of Panama
that the carvings come from. The
tagua nut has a strong resemblance to animal ivory, making it a wonderful
resource for creating all types of beautiful things.
For many years, the tagua nut was used primarily for making buttons but
with new technology and more affordable materials such as plastics, a decline
began. Even so, the tagua nut still
has value in the making of other things to include chess set pieces, jewelry,
handles for canes, dice, figurines, etc. |
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Featured Products
BATIK TAPESTRIES
 View our Batik
Tapestries - Batik is an ancient art that
reached its peak of development on the Indonesian island of Java.
Dutch traders were so impressed by this craft that in 1835, they brought
Batik artists back to Holland with them when they returned from trading trips. |
INSIDE PAINTED SNUFF BOTTLES
 Shop for Snuff Bottles - Both
Chinese snuff bottles, as well as the tobacco powder contained by the Chinese
snuff bottles were at the very core of a fashion whose popularity had never
before been experienced in China’s extensive history.
Due to it’s exceptional versatility of style, technique and material,
all in one small object, as well as the fine craftsmanship, these tiny
masterpieces quickly became one of the most notable representations of the use
of artistic skill throughout the Qing Dynasty.
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GOLDEN POND COLLECTION
 See our Golden
Pond Collection - Adorable reptile
figures from the Golden Pond Collection by Green Tree. These products originated
in Dehua ... one of the finest ceramic capitals of Asia with over 3000 years of
ceramic history and culture. A process of 8 working procedures all fired at
different temperatures is how the hand painted finish is achieved on these
wonderful collectible pieces. Our assortment includes Frogs, Lizards, and
Alligators. |
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