bright boxes

The lavish leaves of the chinar, or Old World sycamore flaunt their bright beauty against a background of buttercup yellow. Sajad crafts a diminutive decorative box, perfect for small personal treasures. He works in the style of Kashmir, crafting the container of weeping willow wood. He then covers it with papier mache in an art form that originated in Persia in the 15th century, and paints the colorful leaves by hand. They are protected with a coat of lacquer.

Inspired by one of the greatest civilizations in human history, Tulsi Dass' chess set pays homage to Rome in every detail, challenging you to a battle of intellect and cunning. Directly from India, the pieces are crafted from brass, with each team featuring a bright or dark metallic hue. The board is enhanced by brass-plated iron accents that complement the design with a sublime aura. In addition, a wooden box allows you to store this majestic piece of art in a safe place.

Alejandro Chávez depicts Saint Martín de Porres, a Dominican brother born in Lima in 1579. Trained in the medical arts, Martin worked in the convent infirmary but also showed great compassion to the sick outside the convent. Chávez crafts the wooden box to house this retablo, or diorama, and paints it in bright colors. The figures are carefully modeled from ceramic plaster and painted by hand.

Originally from Yunan in China, Akha people live in Thailand's northern hills. Akha women are well known for their spectacular traditional costumes which include a headdress, a jacket worn over a halter-like garment, a short skirt, a sash with decorated ends, and leggings. Akha artisan Thikaporn is proud to present this stunning headdress, hand-crafted by her own mother, Sadaporn. She adorns the cotton headdress with myriad aluminium beads and pendants, as well as Thai coins dating from 1952 to 1965. Brightly coloured beads carved of little leaf boxwood and glass, as well as feathers, complete the stunning design of this headdress.

The Akha people are a proud and timeless culture, struggling to preserve their ancestral values through their traditional skills and knowledge. Akhas believe in continuity and see themselves as a link in the chain of life, which includes birth, procreation, the preservation of the Akha way of life – which venerates family life – and death, seen as a meeting with their ancestors.

Ana Maria Gonzalez decorates this wonderful jewellery box with an image of traditional Mexican Maria dolls using decoupage techniques. The jewellery box features a mirror on the lid and a rustic matte finish.