original gifts for her

This delightful folk art pendant necklace is handmade by Mexico's Edith Orozco. The artisan molds the winged heart pendant from paper pulp before sanding it smooth and painting it carefully by hand. The pendant centers an adjustable black polyester cord.

By Elias Garcia, this charming wreath carries a message — "Be Happy Always." He covers it with handloomed Guatemalan textiles and adorns it with diminutive worry dolls who wear red clown noses. The dolls are crafted by his sister of the Lopez Garcia family.

According to Maya legend, the sun god gave princess Ixmucane the gift of solving people's problems. With time people started making dolls in Ixmucane's honor and they would tell her their woes, hoping she would solve them through the dolls. Many people whisper to the dolls, then place them under their pillows at night, hoping that the doll will provide a solution as they sleep.

Inspired by Persia's beautiful carpets, Mohammad Hussain Baba creates a petite jewelry box for personal treasures. He works in the style of Kashmir, crafting the container of weeping willow wood. He then covers it with papier mache in an art form that originated in Persia in the 15th century and paints the intricate images by hand. They are protected with a coat of lacquer, and the box is lined with black velvet.

Akha artisan Thikaporn is proud to present this stunning headdress, hand-crafted by her own mother, Sadaporn. She adorns the cotton headdress with an aluminum trapezoid cap as well as beads and pendants. A waterfall of Thai coins dating from 1952 to 1965 is flanked by multicolored beads carved of little leaf boxwood and glass. Colorful feathers complete the stunning design of this headdress.

Originally from Yunan in China, Akha people live in Thailand's northern hills. Akha women are well known for their spectacular traditional costumes which include a headdress, a jacket worn over a halter-like garment, a short skirt, a sash with decorated ends, and leggings. Akha people are a proud and timeless culture, struggling to preserve their ancestral values through their traditional skills and knowledge. Akhas believe in continuity and see themselves as a link in the chain of life, which includes birth, procreation, the preservation of the Akha way of life – which venerates family life – and death, seen as a meeting with their ancestors.

Celebrate the holiday season with this set of three ornaments depicting Guatemala's festive spirit in a cute group of owls. Designed by artisans Juan and Carolina, each ornament is hand-carved from pinewood and painted with colorful motifs classic to the region. The set also arrives in a handwoven cotton storage bag.

The serene aura of an ancient temple lights up in these lantern-shaped dangle earrings by Zayd Makarim. The Javanese artisan works in sterling silver to create this original design, whose Buddha's curl motifs reflect the designer's deep faith, whereas reconstituted turquoise cabochons evoke the refreshing waters that surround the region.