orders

Talavera is an ancient ceramic technique that dates back to the 16th century when religious orders started to share their knowledge with local artisans. Today this art style is present in many lovely artworks, like Mexico's Juana Ponce, who handcrafts this set of four ornaments. After painting floral motifs in a cool palette, Juana adds golden nylon strings for hanging the ornaments anywhere.

Crafted by youth near the city of San Salvador in order to acquire a better education, this beaded cuff bracelet is presented by Pearls of the Sea Youth Group. The design features a band of solid cornflower blue.

This beaded cuff bracelet is handcrafted by a group of organized youth in El Salvador in order to obtain a better education. Presented by Pearls of the Sea Youth Group, the design features triangle and zigzag motifs made from multicolored glass beads.

Orderly diamonds and dazzling sun motifs align on bands of red, gray and navy blue. From Sonik Sethi, the rug is inspired by the beautiful town of Mirzapur. This traditional wool dhurrie is expertly woven by hand.

This extra-long beaded necklace is from Guatemala's Mirian Zet, who crafts it entirely by hand. The necklace features tiny glass beads in orderly stripes of royal, sky blue and gold. It is secured by a blue crystal button clasp.

Alok Jain of India says his "...journey into handicrafts has been great, yet the highlight came in 1995, when the Sultan of Brunei placed an order for my designs!" Here, he presents a pair of enthralling dangle earrings. Crafted with rhodium plated sterling silver, these lovely earrings feature prong set oval-shaped blue topaz totaling three and a half carats; each is accentuated by a petite round ruby gem at the top.

Narrow rows of textured yarns flow in orderly patterns across a light blue scarf. Working on a backstrap loom, Maya artisans from K'amolon K'i K'ojonel transform soft bamboo rayon into a beautiful handwoven scarf. "This design is inspired by the sky," they confide.

Master carver Christopher Nyasafo faithfully replicates the legendary mask of the Kwele people in Gabon, Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. It features two long horns that encircle the face with a heart-shaped aura. The masks are regarded as highly protective and are controlled by the Bwete Association, who maintains social order. They are used in ceremonies which promote well-being and community. Nyasafo carves the sese wood wall mask by hand and paints it blue, white, brown, and light orange.

During the times when European explorers began arriving on the shores of ancient Latin America, Mayan cultures throughout the continent enjoyed a great prosperity of mercantile life. An ah ppolom, or "great merchant," would travel between cities in order to facilitate the transfer of goods. Accompanied by servants and warriors, an ah ppolom is depicted here in this cotton wall hanging designed by Rhina Rehmann. Featuring ivory-colored motifs against a body of Prussian blue, the patterns in the Salvadoran wall hanging are achieved using the batik method, where a wax resist is applied to the fabric before it is submerged in a vat of dye.

With an expression of dreamy repose, a serene beauty sleeps undisturbed. Indonesian artisan Komang Suastra presents this stunning pendant necklace, featuring a cameo carved from cow bone. The face is crowned with sterling silver and bedecked with 2.5 carats of sparkling blue topaz. Suastra names the necklace after the beautiful woman in a Javanese legend.

The story tells of Dayang Sumbi, a beautiful woman in West Java. She banished her son Sankuriang for disobeying her, in turn receiving the gift of eternal youth from the gods. After many years in exile, Sangkuriang returned home, long after the two had forgotten each other. Sangkuriang fell in love with Dayang Sumbi and decided to marry her, but she recognized him at the last minute. In order to prevent the marriage from taking place, Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to complete two impossible tasks before sunrise--building a dam on the river Citarum, and a large boat to cross the river. However, Sangkuriang enlisted mythical creatures to aid him in his tasks, so he was nearly finished as daybreak approached. Dayang Sumbi saw that the tasks were almost completed, so she summoned her workers to spread red silk cloths east of the city, to appear as if it was dawn breaking. Sangkuriang was fooled, and kicked the dam and the unfinished boat in frustration, resulting in terrible flooding and the creation of the volcano Tangkuban Perahu.

.925 Sterling silver