handmade art work

Vidushini works in the style of India's Gond tribal paintings, popular in Madhya Pradesh. Painted freehand, a peacock graces the cover of this lovely journal, and the spiral notebook features 40 pages of handmade paper.

Gond paintings are usually done by women and can be religious in nature. They explore every facet of daily life.

Made entirely by hand, this beautiful contemporary bag showcases the ancestral weaving traditions preserved by the women artisans of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco. The compact purse exemplifies the incredible time and dedication it takes to produce a handmade work of art. In the highlands they call home, before they can begin to weave the fabric for the bag, the women must first raise and shear the alpacas and llamas to obtain the wool, then dye and spin the fleece before it is ready to be woven into fabric on a traditional backstrap loom. From start to finish, the time taken to produce each bag spans the seasons. The fully-lined bag closes with a zipper and features an interior zipper pocket.

Since childhood, artisan Emmanuel Atiemoh Yeboah has lived surrounded by Ghana's wonders and cultural richness, learning from its traditions and history. Drawing inspiration from the ancestral civilizations that once lived in this prosperous land, the artisan creates a batik wall art on cotton and cardstock, using oils in a vibrant palette. After bringing a stunning African mask to life, the artisan enhances his work with a ceiba wood frame.

Ravens often announce the arrival of spooky days, making them perfect for a Halloween-themed space. Indian artisan Rajesh Gehlot works with wool felt to create this raven-shaped wall accent, ornamented with embroidered star details, pompoms and dangling brass bells.

Choose your Christmas representative and enjoy a moment of fun and warmth! Guatemalan artisan Mirian Zet works with glass beads to create this set of six drink tags accented with diverse Christmas motifs that will help you recognize your cup instantly. Each piece comes with a stainless steel ring, ensuring durable use.

Ganesha, the deity with the head of an elephant, happily holds his favorite sweet treat. Vidushini works in the traditional Madhubani style for this delightful portrait, painted freehand on handmade paper. Bala Ganapathi is Ganesha as a child. Drawn in black and white, the beloved Hindu lord comes to life against a colorful background of red.

All of nature exists in harmony, as can be seen in this Tree of Life painting in green and red. Flowers bloom on its generous branches and colorful birds find shelter there. Vidushini works in India's traditional Madhubani style, painting the idyllic images on handmade paper.

A red star lets a natural and charming sensation enter your spaces, honoring Guatemala's traditional arts and rich nature. Artisan Angelina Roquel works with passion and mastery on this paja fiber ornament, displaying the region's spirit. Each motif—made with acrylic threads—creates a beautiful pattern suspended from a handy cord that allows easy use.

Petite and lovely, this finely-crafted decorative box is perfect for small personal treasures. Mohammad Hussain Baba works in the style of Kashmir, crafting the container of weeping willow wood. He covers it with papier mache in an art form that originated in Persia in the 15th century and meticulously paints the golden floral images by hand on the deep red surface. They are protected with a coat of lacquer.

Alebrijes are often a hybrid of real animals, such as elephants and crocodiles, or they can be more fantastical creatures, such as dragons. Artisan Teresita Gonzalez of Xoxocotlan in the Mexican state of Oaxaca creates an elaborately hand carved copal wood alebrije dragonfly, or libelula. The insect is beautifully painted in bold red with accents of black, blue and yellow. Small parts are separated for shipping to protect from breakage.

It is said that Oaxaca's alebrije tradition descends directly from Mexico City artisan Pedro Linares (1906-1992). When he was 30, he became seriously ill and fell into a sort of coma. While he was unconscious, he had a most fantastic dream. He was caught between the land of the living and the dead; the place looked like a forest and was populated with creatures with body parts belonging to different animals. The beings repeatedly uttered the word alebrije, and when Linares woke up, he recreated these figures in vivid colors using papier mache techniques and called them alebrijes . His work became famous and eventually influenced artisans in the state of Oaxaca who decided to craft alebrijes using traditional wood carving methods and according to that region's world vision.

The classic Javanese artistry depicts a gracious giraffe in an adorable style, all made with batik techniques. Inspired by the region's floral richness, Retno Pratiwi works on pule wood to hand-carve this giraffe sculpture, later painted in a palette of red and yellow hues that transform the piece into a charming folk art design.