star

Yuni Kristina, working with her mother and her husband, specializes in Indonesian batik. She designs this shawl in 100% silk. It is printed in the batik style, where a wax resist is used to stamp the designs on the piece before submerging it in a vat of dye. This wrap features elegantly detailed truntum star motifs in tangerine, sand, peach, and ivory colors. Truntum is a traditional Javanese pattern, modified by the artisan for a more contemporary design.

Warblers are a species that can be found in many places around the world, from the United Kingdom to North America and even the Galapagos Islands. This stunning bird is the star of this statuette painted and carved by hand from suar wood and designed by Indonesian artisan Ira S. The colorful decorative accent comes with a fine teak base and will bring warmth and an exotic touch to your space.

Roses in terracotta red-orange roses bloom a black background on this lovely yoga mat bag by Susan. Crafted from 100% cotton with a solid black lining, the bag features adjustable straps and a zip pocket on both the outside and the inside. The artisan creates the beautiful rose motifs in Java's traditional hand-stamped batik.

Fatchurohman of Java designs a journal with handcrafted recycled paper and a bold cotton cover made via a technique called kolaste, in which batik fabric is cut into strips and then woven together. The saffron and black cover sports a traditional Indonesian gedheg motif resembling woven bamboo. 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.

Each year around March, Balinese citizens start the day by walking around the gorgeous coasts of the region as part of a purification ritual called Melasti. Aimed to help people leave their bad experiences behind, the ceremony inspires today Anak Agung Ary to create this suar wood decorative box featuring a polyester velvet lining and a hand-painted scene of the Melasti in the morning, while the sun rises to illuminate the world one more day.

Ceplok is one of several traditional Yogyakarta batik motifs, noted for its wide range of geometric designs, often based on stars or other heavenly bodies. This luxurious silk shawl is designed and hand-dyed with glowing colors of tangerine and ivory by Javanese artisan Yuni Kristina.

This pretty pair of beaded bracelets is the creation of Sang Ayu Sardiwati of Bhakti Senang Hati, a foundation in Bali that assists the physically disabled attain physical and economic independence and build self-esteem. "Although we live in very limited conditions, my childhood was very happy", says artisan Sang Ayu. "I used to work carrying stones for a dam construction when I was in Junior High School so I can pay the school fee myself. Unfortunately the dam suddenly collapse and huge stones broke my leg. Now I have to use a prosthesis everywhere. I was so depressed, very not confident after the accident, I usually hide and shy whenever people visiting our home. But finally my spirit is back after I saw my parents were crying because my depressed condition. After pray to God, I feel more patient and strong. I even graduated from a university, and I start making handicrafts. After I joined the Foundation, I met my husband and now we have 3 boys." One of the stretch bracelets is crafted from orange ceramic beads alternating with albesia and suar wood beads; the other bracelet features coconut wood beads.

These pretty beaded bracelets are the creation of Sang Ayu Sardiwati of Bhakti Senang Hati, a foundation in Bali that assists the physically disabled to attain physical and economic independence and build self-esteem. "Although we live in very limited conditions, my childhood was very happy", says artisan Sang Ayu. "I used to work carrying stones for a dam construction when I was in Junior High School so I can pay the school fee myself. Unfortunately the dam suddenly collapse and huge stones broke my leg. Now I have to use a prosthesis everywhere. I was so depressed, very not confident after the accident, I usually hide and shy whenever people visiting our home. But finally my spirit is back after I saw my parents were crying because my depressed condition. After pray to God, I feel more patient and strong. I even graduated from a university, and I start making handicrafts. After I joined the Foundation, I met my husband and now we have three boys." One stretch bracelet is crafted from blue and orange ceramic beads alternating with brown coconut shell beads, while the other is entirely of coconut wood.

Associated with Javanese royalty, traditional truntum motifs are realized in colors of tangerine and ivory to decorate the smooth, silken body of this elegant scarf from Bali. Yuni Kristina employs the batik method, drawing the starry motifs with a wax resist before applying colorful dyes. Long, delicate fringes finish the scarf.