costa rican folk art

What ancient wisdom does this little man have to share? Handcrafted by Chorotega pottery artisan Elpidio Chavarría of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, this ceramic statuette of a seated man with headdress and glasses is the natural sand color of the clay with details painted in dark orange and brown.

Chorotega pottery is completely handmade with traditional techniques passed down through the generations for 3,000 years, and one of the last surviving cultural elements of the Chorotega people indigenous to Costa Rica’s Guanacaste region and Nicoya Peninsula. Chorotega pottery is made from local clay mixed with a very fine freshwater sand. The artisans shape the clay on hand-operated pottery wheels and hand-polish the art piece to give it a smooth texture and luster. Designs are etched by hand and the pieces are painted with natural pigments made from pulverized local colored rocks mixed with water, then fired in traditional wood-burning brick kilns. The result is a beautiful, earthen pottery unique to this region.

$25

Ancient Wisdom Orange and Brown Seated Man Chorotega Pottery Statuette

Elpidio Chavarria

(3)

$129 Wholesale

$129

Yellow Flower Windows Guatemalan Wood Decorative Plate with Two Yellow Flowers

Maya Artists Group

(8)

With bright red and yellow coloring, this decorative pinewood plate is sure to add a touch of eye-catching color wherever you choose to display it. Crafted and painted by the artisan organization Maya Artists Group of Guatemala, it features two yellow and peach-colored flowers in two red sections that look like windows.

With its soothing azure and yellow coloring, this decorative pinewood plate is sure to please the eyes wherever you choose to display it. Crafted and painted by the artisan organization Maya Artists Group of Guatemala, it features two types of yellow flowers in two sections that look like windows at late dusk.

$39

Night Windows Guatemalan Wood Decorative Plate with Two Yellow Flowers

Maya Artists Group

(8)

$44 Wholesale

$44

Two Purple Flowers Guatemalan Wood Decorative Plate with Two Purple Flowers

Maya Artists Group

(8)

This carved and painted decorative pinewood plate from Guatemala is sure to add a bright splash of color anywhere you choose to display it. Crafted by the artisan organization Maya Artists Group, it features two purple flowers surrounded by other bold colors and designs along with a serrated edge that reinforces the floral theme.

This carved and painted decorative pinewood plate is sure to add a bright splash of color anywhere you choose to display it. Crafted by the artisan organization Maya Artists Group, it features two yellow flowers surrounded by other bold colors and designs and a serrated edge that reinforces the flower theme.

$39

Two Yellow Flowers Guatemalan Wood Decorative Plate with Two Yellow Flowers

Maya Artists Group

(8)

The environment always comes first for Grettel Sandoval. The Costa Rican artisan handcrafts this red and gold geometric themed 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.

$39

Red Illusion Recycled Glass Red Geometric Windchime Crafted in Costa Rica

Grettel Sandoval

(2)

$109 Wholesale

$109

Crystal Nature Recycled Hand-Painted Glass Green and Gold Windchime

Grettel Sandoval

(2)

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.

$107 Wholesale

$107

Ceramic ornaments, 'Festive Cats' (set of 6) - Festive Hand Painted Ceramic Cat Ornaments (Set of 6)

Festive Cats Festive Hand Painted Ceramic Cat Ornaments (Set of 6)

Jose Arriola

(218)

Jose Arriola in Guatemala creates this delightful assortment of six festive cat ornaments, each in a different color. The hand-painted ornaments are crafted of ceramic and ready to hang on the tree with red polyester ribbons. The ornament set arrives in a hand woven cotton storage bag.

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.

$39

Yellow Monkey Small Yellow Monkey Figurine in Pinewood

Manuel Delfino

(32)

$25

Salvadoran Girl in Red, Cotton Folk Art Decorative Doll

Marcela Moran

(6)

$47 Wholesale

$47

Moments to Share, Brown Teak Wood Domino Set Hand-Carved in Costa Rica

Chaverri Brothers

(35)

$64 Wholesale

$64

Ceramic mini flower pot, 'Julia Dreaming' - Handpainted Mini Ceramic Flower Pot in the Shape of a Woman

Bestseller

Julia Dreaming, Handpainted Mini Ceramic Flower Pot in the Shape of a Woman

Vitelio Orozco

(7)

$25

Magic Reptile, Handcrafted Balsa Wood Mask with Painted Natural Motifs

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$59 Wholesale

$59

Abaca Leaves, Hand-Carved Leafy-Patterned Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$94

Sacred Treasure, Hand-Carved Geometric-Themed Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$89 Wholesale

$89

Jungle Diversity, Balsa Wood Mask with Hand-Painted Animal and Floral Motifs

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$187 Wholesale

$187

Sunflower Essence, Hand-Carved Sunflower-Themed Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$104 Wholesale

$104

Celestial Birds, Handcrafted Balsa Wood Mask with Hand-Painted Details

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$119 Wholesale

$119

Crane Flower, Crane Flower-Themed Painted Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$99 Wholesale

$99

Morpho Flutter, Morpho Butterfly-Themed Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$94

Boruca Courage, Handmade Balsa Wood Mask with Painted Boruca Warrior

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$159 Wholesale

$159

Warrior Leopard, Handmade Balsa Wood Mask with Jaguar and Boruca Warrior

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$49 Wholesale

$49

Floral Essence, Hand-Carved Floral Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$94

Marine Wisdom, Handcrafted Art Glass Figurine of a Green Sea Turtle

Elena Herrera

(15)

$49 Wholesale

$49

Oneiric Macaw, Handmade Balsa Wood Mask with Hand-Painted Details

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$74 Wholesale

$74

Fuchsia Heliconias, Hand-Painted Fuchsia Heliconia Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$89 Wholesale

$89

Artistic Toucan, Hand-Painted Chorotega Pottery Toucan Decorative Vase

Nury Marchena

(1)

$104 Wholesale

$104

Dried gourd wall accents, 'Hummingbird Harmony' (set of 3) - Set of 3 Hand-Painted Dried Gourd Bird Wall Accents

Hummingbird Harmony, Set of 3 Hand-Painted Dried Gourd Bird Wall Accents

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$69

Tropical Fauna, Handmade Balsa Wood Mask with Hand-Painted Motifs

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$87 Wholesale

$87

Orange Heliconias, Hand-Painted Orange Heliconia Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$94

Red Heliconias, Hand-Painted Red Heliconia Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$94

Monarch Flutter, Monarch Butterfly-Themed Dried Gourd Decorative Accent

Ruth Mora

$104 Wholesale

$104

Paradise Jungle, Handcrafted Balsa Wood Mask with Hand-Painted Motifs

Caronco Maleku Artisans

(3)

$129 Wholesale

$129

Masquerades, Stretched Acrylic Impressionist Painting in Colorful Palette

Jairo Mora

$677 Wholesale

$677

Sunset Toucan, Handcrafted Toucan-Themed Brown Ceramic Decorative Vase

Ilsa Chavarria

(6)

$39

Wood ornaments, 'Enchanted Eve' (set of 6) - Christmas-Themed Black Coffee Tree Wood Ornaments (Set of 6)

Enchanted Eve, Christmas-Themed Black Coffee Tree Wood Ornaments (Set of 6)

Susana Rubinstein

$25

Wood ornaments, 'Sweet Eve' (set of 6) - Christmas-Themed Coffee Tree Wood Ornaments (Set of 6)

Sweet Eve, Christmas-Themed Coffee Tree Wood Ornaments (Set of 6)

Susana Rubinstein

$25

Volcano View, Cedar Wood Hand-Painted Decorative Plate from Costa Rica

Jorge Leiton

(3)

$47 Wholesale

$47

Costa Rican Farm, Cedar Wood Hand-Painted Decorative Plate from Costa Rica

Jorge Leiton

(3)

$87 Wholesale

$87

Savior on the Cross, Hand-Carved Religious Cross-Shaped Pochote Wood Wall Art

Christian Vasquez

(5)

$154 Wholesale

$154

Tropical Jaguar, Painted Traditional Jaguar-Themed Calabash Gourd Ornament

Ruth Guevara

(1)

$44 Wholesale

$44

Landscape Rhythm, Handcrafted Nature-Inspired Pinewood Figurine of a Marimba

Jorge Leiton

(3)

$69

Country Life, Signed Naif Landscape Painting from Costa Rica

Rose Mary Mendez

$209 Wholesale

$209

Country Place, Cedar Wood Hand-Painted Decorative Plate from Costa Rica

Jorge Leiton

(3)

$77 Wholesale

$77

Love and Nature, Abstract Calabash Gourd Sculpture Crafted in Costa Rica

Ruth Guevara

(1)

$39

Country Home, Costa Rica Cottage Hand-Painted Cedar Decorative Plate

Jorge Leiton

(3)

$89 Wholesale

$89

Artisanal Lines, Handloomed Striped Cotton Sling with Zipper Closure

Association of So Cagru Indigenous Women

(1)

$37 Wholesale

$37

Landscape of My Land, Handcrafted Cedar Wood Decorative Plate with Classic Scene

Jorge Leiton

(3)

$79 Wholesale

$79

Butterfly Rhythm, Handmade Butterfly-Inspired Pinewood Figurine of a Marimba

Jorge Leiton

(3)

$69

To the Green Lagoon, Handmade Brown and Green Cedarwood Boat Catchall with Paddle

Braulio Masis

$39

Harmonious Journey, Hand-Carved Painted Green Cedarwood Boat Catchall

Braulio Masis

$39

Boruca Mask, Stretched Expressionist Cultural Boruca Mask Painting

Jairo Mora

$677 Wholesale

$677

These Lovely Rivers, Hand-Carved Canoe-Shaped Cedarwood Catchall in Red

Braulio Masis

$39

These Harmonious Rivers, Hand-Carved Canoe-Shaped Cedarwood Catchall in Green

Braulio Masis

$39

Paradise Rhythm, Handcrafted Toucan-Inspired Pinewood Figurine of a Marimba

Jorge Leiton

(3)