handcrafted decor

Coming from a background of Balinese artisans, Gunadi works with the women in his village to present beautiful works of art. This decorative tray is crafted of local wadang wood to resemble a mango, diligently decorated with traditional parang batik motifs, where a wax resist informs the designs.

By Gunadi, this beautiful wood batik jewelry box is crafted by hand in black, and red with cool green leaves. The front, top and sides feature the kawung motif, one of Java's oldest batik designs once reserved for the royal family. Kawung depicts a cross-section of the aren palm fruit as four pointed ovals connected at the center. The cross it forms is believed by some to refer to the universal energy source. Three convenient drawers keep things organized.

An exotic accessory to add to your home decor, this set of six hexagonal coasters is presented by Gunadi of Indonesia. Known as Kembang Kanthil in Javanese culture, a motif of magnolia flowers symbolizing love and compassion is stamped onto the coasters using the batik technique. Shades of black, red, and cream give the wadang wood coasters a dramatic touch.

Combining the beauty of nature with traditional handicrafts, Gunadi presents this set of four ornaments which are created by Javanese artisans. Each ornament is carved from wood in the shape of a heart, decorated with teal leaf motifs or intricate vines on red. The designs are applied using the batik method; a wax resist is added before the wood is treated with colorful dyes. Afterward, the wax is boiled away.

Fatchurohman of Java designs a journal with handcrafted recycled paper and a lively cotton cover made via a technique called kolaste, in which batik fabric is cut into strips and then woven together. The crimson and linen white cover sports a traditional Indonesian kawung motif of rows of encircled concave diamonds. The journal is held closed with a black elastic cord with a medallion stamped with the letter "F," embellished to also form an archer shooting toward a star. With unlined pages, the journal can be used for writing or sketching.