carved bird

Though the technique of lacquerware actually originated in China, it spread to northern Thailand centuries ago and firmly took hold there. Artisan Nantana Sompamitre crafts this delightful duck box from mango wood and paints it carefully with stylized feathers and floral motifs. The result is a very special box in which to store your prized treasures. The Lanna Kingdom is now northern Thailand.

A bird glares at your soul with a captivating aura that invites you to live the spring season with a free heart. Artisans Juan and Carolina from Guatemala honor the mystic spirit of the bird with this traditional pinewood mask featuring a palette of pink and white hues as a symbol of compassion and sweetness. Floral details complete the design, allowing for a charming illusion that allures the eye, while an agave cord makes it easy to set the piece.

This adorable key fob is hand crafted by Claudio Ojeda in Mexico. The panda alebrije is carved from copal wood and painted in black and white and myriad patterns and shapes in pink and purple. The wood figurine adorns a stainless steel key ring. The artisan signs his pieces with the initials "T.C.", which represent his initial "C" preceded by his mother Teresita's initial "T". Claudio learned the art of crafting alebrijes from his mother.

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 shouted "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.

Inspired by the Mexican folk art form of alebrijes, Manuel Delfino in Guatemala creates this charming small figurine. The flamingo is carved by hand from pinewood and carefully hand painted in colorful detail.

The vibrant pink and gold-tone colors on Mohammad Hussain Baba's decorative box bring the flowers of India's Kashmir region to life. The Indian artisan hand carves the box from weeping willow wood and a layer of papier mache before hand painting the surface with a pink floral pattern. Finally, the box is coated in a glossy lacquer for shine and protection.