great gifts

Working with recycled auto parts and scrap metal, Armando Ramirez in Mexico creates remarkable sculptures. Here he depicts a figure in the Virabhadrasana or Warrior yoga pose. The statuette makes a great gift for any yoga aficionado.

Armando Ramirez celebrates the advent of technology by recycling scrap metal into an IT specialist. The man sitting at the computer is shaped from a spark plug and long screws. The rest of the statuette features a wide variety of metal pieces that were discarded in die machines.

Please note it is the artist's intention not to give his sculptures a fine polished finish, therefore smudges and scratches may be present.

Graceful motifs in brown and black cover the wings of a beautiful butterfly. By Mexican artisan J. Blas, this original wall sculpture features vintage images of musical scores, applied with the decoupage technique.

This hard-working executive sits in front of his computer under the glare of a desk lamp, phone always nearby. The statuette is fabulously detailed and rich in expressiveness, a feat considering that all of the components are metallic. Armando Ramírez shapes the executive with a car's spark plug for the body, pieces off a die machine for the head and wires for the arms and legs. What once was a window screen is now the keyboard, and the rest of this admirable sculpture includes upcycled sheets of metal, wires, and further pieces discarded off a die.

Ramírez does not give his sculptures a fine polished finish, therefore smudges and scratches may be present.

Luminous and bright, this West African mask by Saeed Musah of Ghana is a stunning addition to any home decor. The handsome wall mask is hand carved from wood and accented by aluminum details. The artisan names it Jama, which means "Happiness" in the Ga language.

Shaped by hand, this dazzling hummingbird features cutout motifs to define its lovely plumage. J. Blas works in iron to create the wall sculpture. In Mexico, when someone sees a hummingbird in flight, he or she makes a wish.