Imagine...
... a
box with no apparent way to open it, yet if you know the secret
– you can. One box might take 4 steps, another 54. Now imagine a
store with not a couple, a few, or even a dozen – but nearly
100
of these amazing Japanese
puzzle boxes.
... a
carved wooden jaguar head decorated with over 50,000 beads, each
individually placed, forming intricate patterns. An art form
perfected by the Huichol Indians of Mexico.
... a
tiny basket, so tightly woven that they say it can hold water.
Such are the baskets of the Wounaan Indians of Panama.
... a
sculpture that is half giraffe, half gazelle and just so happens
to be purple and orange. This is the whimsical work known as Alebrijes to the people of Oaxaca, Mexico.
... a gold
lacquer vase that took a master craftsman over a month to
complete. Or a jade sculpture that took 3 months. Or a tiny bottle
with a portrait painted on the inside
Imagine
these items and thousands more, each with a story, waiting to be
discovered. |
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JAPANESE BENTO BOXES
View our Bento
Boxes - Just as you can order take-out in
the United States, in Japan, you can take out food for lunch or dinner called
Bento. The bento is stored and sold
in boxes, thus the name, Bento Box. This
take away style is very popular and can be found just about anywhere – in
train stations, convenience stores, theaters, shopping areas, vending machines,
and so on. For instance, if you
were to buy a ticket to take a bullet train, you can either buy Bento boxes to
take with you on the train or relax and wait for a vendor to come to you. |
TAGUA CARVINGS FROM PANAMA
Shop our Tagua
Carvings - Imported directly
from the Native Indian Artists that created these little masterpieces. Choose
from Animals, Fish, Birds, and Reptiles - all native to the country of Panama
that the carvings come from. The
tagua nut has a strong resemblance to animal ivory, making it a wonderful
resource for creating all types of beautiful things.
For many years, the tagua nut was used primarily for making buttons but
with new technology and more affordable materials such as plastics, a decline
began. Even so, the tagua nut still
has value in the making of other things to include chess set pieces, jewelry,
handles for canes, dice, figurines, etc. |
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Featured Products
JAPANESE SAKE SETS
Shop Our Sake Sets - Choose from our wide variety of hand crafted designs imported
from Japan. Matching Sushi Sets and bowls also available. |
NAVAJO SAND PAINTINGS
Shop our Sand Paintings - These sand paintings are
done completely by hand. On the back of each piece is a card with the artists
name and written in the artists hand the name of the painting. The Navajo people
believe the universe to be delicately balanced. Only man can upset it causing
disaster or illness. When this happens a medicine man must restore the natural
balance. Balance is restored by healing the offender with chants herbs prayers
songs and sand paintings. |
OAXACAN WOOD CARVINGS
Shop our Oaxacan
Wood Carvings - Each of our wood
carvings are hand carved and painted by artists in small villages in the state
of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico. They are creative and wonderfully painted figures
in bright fun colors. Each carving is an original piece of art. |
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