sculptures of hands

This irresistible, colorful creature from Marina Lozano will win your heart. The alebrije is crafted by hand from recycled papier mache and carefully painted by hand. The whimsical sculpture has the body of a seahorse and the wings of a butterfly.

The folk art tradition of alebrijes dates back to the 1930's in Mexico City. A man named Pedro Linares was taken ill, and in his fevered dreams he saw a strange land populated with curious creatures--a donkey with wings, a rooster with bull's horns, and a lion with the head of a dog. The beasts all ran at him, shouting "alebrije! alebrije!". Upon his recovery, Linares began recreating the fantastical creatures he had seen in his dream. The art form gained popularity, and alebrijes are now made of wood as well as papier mache.

This adorable small figurine is from Manuel Delfino in Guatemala, who is inspired by the Mexican folk art form of alebrijes. The monkey is carved by hand from pinewood and carefully hand painted in colorful detail.

Feeling lucky? Then you shouldn’t miss this awe-inspiring gift set from Thailand, especially curated by the NOVICA team, which includes three stunning accessories centreed around elements believed to bring good fortune and blessings. Like the cheerful hand-painted elephant motif that graces the front pocket of a lovely blue cotton shoulder bag, adorned with coconut shell buttons, yellow cotton cords and rain tree wood beads. The fully lined bag has an inner zippered pocket to keep small items handy. Just like the majestic Thai pachyderm, the legendary Chinese coin is said to bring wealth and success. Brass replicas of the iconic coin grace an eye-catching wristband bracelet skillfully set on a braided cord and adorned with glass and rain tree wood beads that serve as the button closure. And last, but not least--the legendary Japanese Maneki-neko cat raising one paw is also a symbol of good luck. It inspires an endearing celadon ceramic figurine of an adorable feline, in this case raising both paws and looking very playful, that will be a whimsical addition to your space.

Carved by hand from sleek African ebony, five ducklings swim together. Ghana's Francis Agbete names the set Kpakpa fome — "the duck family" in the Ewe language. "We should know we all belong to a family," he says. "These carvings remind each one of it."