artisan instruments

Inspired by the traditional Shvi flute, a musical instrument dating back to ancient times, master artisan Stepan Ohanyan replicates its sweet melodies in his newest creation, made in honor of Armenia's nature. Crafted from ceramic and classic methods, this graceful ocarina takes the shape of a bird, embellished with the region's details and a serene palette of teal and yellow hues.

The Bambara people of Mali suggest the djembe drum gets its name from the saying, Anke djé, anke bé which translates as "everyone gather together in peace" - thus defining the djembe's purpose. Christopher Nyasafo celebrates this legendary style of African drum with this decorative mini-djembe, in black and green. He hand-carves the goblet-like shape of the drum from tweneboah wood, and gives a weathered appearance to the leather drumhead, which is affixed with iron rings wrapped in cotton.

Replace industrial writing instruments with this handcrafted pencil made from reclaimed newspaper. The brainchild of Irapuato, Mexico native Daniel Piceno, this unique pencil generates awareness for sustainably made goods and repurposed waste while also highlighting the creativity of Mexican artists with its vintage newspaper aesthetic and noteworthy green eraser. Crafting this pencil, Daniel invests many hours into first sourcing the raw material from publishers, then ironing and cutting the rough newspaper before rolling it in layers around the graphite core. Each pencil receives its own unique paper, design and character, plus a signed certificate of authenticity from Daniel.

The environment always comes first for Grettel Sandoval. The Costa Rican artisan crafts this green and gold hand-painted windchime with recycled glass she collects from factories that dispose of this material.

"I love to capture my emotions and moods when designing. My pieces have a cultural meaning since I aim to represent Costa Rican nature and also the strength and the spirit of Costa Rican women," Grettel says.