original handmade gifts

The imaginative mind of Armando Ramirez transforms scrap metal into a sleek, black and silver chess set. Ramirez collects the leftover metal pieces off a die machine and shapes them into the pawns, horses, and parts of the kings, which also feature cogs from a car's electrical system. The queens are made from screws, auto part cogs and bearings. The bishops are shaped from spark plugs and the towers from cogwheels. The board is made from a metal sheet and features ornate iron wires and bendix caps taken from a car.

Please note it is the artist's intention not to give his sculptures a fine polished finish, therefore smudges and scratches may be present. The finish can vary from matte to shiny, as each chess set is a unique piece of handcrafted art.

Carved from local cempaka wood, each detail of this chess set by Ketut Sandi complements the intricacy of the game. The pieces represent figures and deities of the sea, alluring in their finned tails and enduring expressions. Stylized fish legs support the table, its checkerboard surrounded by meticulous flourishes, sure to enhance the drama of your next intensely contested match. The chessboard folds easily for storage and travel.

Like pre-Hispanic warriors, rustic figures do battle atop a pyramid. This wonderful creation is the work of Armando Ramírez. Queens are fashioned of screws and bearings, kings are cogwheels and metal scraps, while sparkplugs and other castoffs find a new life as sculpture. Combining art and function, Ramírez creates each piece from discarded automobile parts.

This fabulous centerpiece is the original creation of Manolo and Lucho in Peru. They craft the long canoe-shaped centerpiece from thick leather, which is embossed with an overlapping geometric motif on both sides. A slightly distressed gold-tone finish makes it the perfect complement to contemporary home decor.

"I love this design if I may say so myself!" admits Guatemala's Zandra Lorena Sajbin. "I wanted to combine several geometric shapes." The original design of this necklace seems to perpetuate jade's energy, which the ancient Maya believed to most powerful. They called it ya'ax chich, and believed it to be a sacred stone that symbolized life. The sterling silver necklace is crafted by hand with dark green jade.

.925 Sterling silver

The reverse painted glass technique arrived in Peru with the Spaniards in the 16th century and even today, artisans like Asunta Pelaez still work with a noble method that gifts us with one of the most original and artistic handicrafts you can find. The artisan presents a folding tray table entirely crafted by hand featuring gorgeous floral and leaf motifs. The tray is made from MDF while the stand is crafted from pinewood and comes with a safety mechanism to keep the tray always in place.

Crafted by hand, this beautiful tray table depicts beautiful blossoms on red. Asunta Pelaez hand paints the motifs on the reverse side of a glass pane, giving them a wonderful clarity. A traditional Cajamarca handicraft, this original tray arrives with a folding pinewood stand.

Khalid Ali recreates images of Mughal splendor with this elegant accent table. Crafted of mango wood, it is covered with gleaming repoussé. Copper provides a beautiful contrast to golden brass in a very original decorator piece.