handmade

The unique iconography of the Inca tells of when to sow, when to harvest and when to shear the alpaca and llama. Known as tocapu, this pictorial alphabet comes from the Sacred Valley of the Inca Empire, which goes from Pisaq and Ollantaytambo, parallel to Vilcanota or Wilcamayu River, in Cuzco. Rolando and Luis paint this inspired ceramic vase by hand.

Stick your favorite flowers in this pretty celadon ceramic vase after your next trip to the farmer's market. Hand made by Thai artisans Thatsanee and Ramphan, the cylindrical vase features a short, narrow neck with a flared lip and a subtle crackled finish.

Jade elephants prance in a parade, surrounding a voluptuous vase. Working in ancient Thai celadon techniques, Thatsanee and Ramphan handcraft a graceful design, bathed in a subtly crackled green glaze.

Riveting geometric design explodes into a bold graphic style on this graceful vase. The stepped frets and intricate checkerboard motifs distinguish this splendid recreation of Inca ceramics. Gerardo Huaman crafts each piece by hand, meticulously emulating not only the style but also the spirit of ancient peoples.

Artisan Somyot Sawasdee uses a mixture of recycled paper, cement, and glue to hand craft this decorative vase. The vase features an intricate swirling pattern with an antiqued finish, giving it an exquisite appearance.

Said to be the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment, the Bodhi Tree has great spiritual significance for Buddhists everywhere. The talented artisans Thatsanee and Ramphan from Thailand depict the Bodhi Tree beautifully on this petite green celadon bud vase. The vase features the crackled finish that is typical of celadon ceramics.

This masterfully carved decorative vase from Sarwaedi of Bali was inspired by the Javanese legend of Naga Baru Klinting. The subtle application of paint and gilded accents give the vase the appearance of a treasured antique.

According to the legend, Baru Klinting was a dragon who promised a sage that he could circle the whole Merapi Volcano in Central Java to prove that he was the sage's son, but failed to do so. The dragon used his tongue instead, which enraged the sage, and the sage swung a sword to cut his tongue. The dragon fell to the earth. Then people living near the volcano cut up the dragon's body and took it home to make a feast. Suddenly, a midget appeared and put a stick in the earth, and said that he would take all of the dragon's meat if no one was capable of removing the stick. People tried because they didn't want to lose their chance for a feast, but none were able to do it. The midget then removed the stick from the ground, and suddenly in that spot water started to flood the whole village, turning the village into a spring that is present to this day. Later on, another sage revealed that the midget was the soul of the dragon, enraged with the people that tried to eat his body.

Finished with a glaze that captures the color of the sky, this vase is created by Duangkamol in Thailand. She diligently crafts this vase by hand from ceramic. This home decor accessory is perfect for holding flowers.

Working with local clay, Guatemalan artisans handcraft this simple, yet striking decorative vase. It features a round shape with a two-tone color scheme in light and dark brown. Scored textures decorate the vase at the bottom, and ceramic beads dangle at the top. Roxana de Papadopolo designs this vase.

Flowers blossom in wild adventure over the sleek contours of this celadon vase. Thailand's Duangkamol presents this distinguished piece featuring celadon's trademark crackled finish.

The cerulean hue of this handmade vase evokes the clear blue seas of Thailand. Ceramic artisan Duangkamol crafts the round footed vase by hand, adding textural ridges and a glaze of blue over brown.

Nicaraguan artist, Arlen Estrada, is known for ultra-modern geometric designs that bring a breath of fresh air to traditional techniques. She crafts this elegant decorative vase from clay and decorates it with a dynamic polygon pattern set against a navy blue background. The piece is signed at the bottom by the artist as "Handmade, Managua, Nic. Arlen Estrada" along with the year that it was created.