wall decor plates

Alluring colors embellish this decorative plate by Francisco Guerrero Arotinco. Made from clay fired at high temperatures and then expertly painted in carefully-orchestrated color, shade and shape create a riveting piece that cheerfully enhances any living room.

Formed of three blue peyote buds, a lighted candle is radiant in this exquisite nierika, or votive beadwork painting by Kupihaute. A butterfly alights on either side in his composition, which takes the shape of a flower with five wide petals.

The artisan, who writes fluently in the Huichol, Nahuatl, Spanish and English languages, talks about this work in his own words. "The nierika is a mirror that is offered to the sea together with the first corn that has been harvested, in order to renew the cycle of rains that will give life to the next crop cycle. As in most of the ancient cultures of our planet, the candle represents our trajectory between being born and returning. For this reason, even today, during the celebration of our birthday, it is customary to light and blow out as many candles as solar cycles have elapsed. The butterflies and spirals are indicating that existence is energy in permanent transformation between arising from and returning to earth."

The intricate images are formed with tiny seed beads. Kupihuate patiently places them one at a time with a needle made of abalone shell onto a huanacaxtle wood backing. Beeswax is used instead of glue.

The process is totally spontaneous, with no previous sketch or design. It is guided by the artist's unconscious to tell the stories that remain in our collective ancestral memory. He signs his work with the symbol of a butterfly on the reverse side of the nierika.

These adorable dolls are here to bring some love into your home. Artisan Elias Garcia arranges them in a heart-shaped frame covered with colorful hand-loomed fabric and finished with a wooden sign reading "Love". Each doll is handmade by Elias's sister, Aura, and she dresses each one in a unique handwoven dress. Quitapenas or "worry dolls" represent Ixmucane, a princess who was gifted with infinite wisdom. Children are instructed to confide all of their worries to their quitapenas and then place them underneath their pillow at night. The dolls will impart their wisdom to them while they sleep and in the morning they'll wake up knowing what to do.

By Elias Garcia, this handcrafted cross is a reminder of the importance of faith. The artisan covers the open figure with handwoven fabric. Diminutive worry dolls in handwoven apparel stand shoulder to shoulder to surround the cutout cross. 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.

Crafted from ceramic, this piece of wall art from Cosa Rica resembles a plate. Floribeth Grijalba creates this piece of wall art, featuring the hand-painted image of a dragon in the abstract form of pre-Hispanic iconography. This decor accessory will add a touch of history and culture to your home.

A myriad shades of blue conjure a cool and soothing universe in this elegant nierika, or votive beadwork painting by Kupihaute. Scorpions scuttle purposefully around the center of the composition, which takes the shape of a flower with five wide petals.

The artist, who writes fluently in the Huichol, Nahuatl and English languages, talks about this work in his own words. "From the focal center of the nierika, the precious flower arises in spiral movement as the culminating expression of the deepest roots. The blossom is keeping in its entrails the seed that will disseminate the power of creative energy. This is symbolized by the scorpions that, in their wonderful body symmetry, show the essence of the power itself, since any imbalance in its mating dance, any missing the target, will cause its own poisoning and thus its own death. Therefore the symbol of cosmos, of order is shown in their mouths and the tails."

The intricate images are formed with tiny seed beads. Kupihuate patiently places them one at a time with a needle made of abalone shell onto a huanacaxtle wood backing. Beeswax is used instead of glue.

The process is totally spontaneous, with no previous sketch or design. It is guided by the artist's unconscious to tell the stories that remain in our collective ancestral memory. He signs his work with the symbol of a butterfly on the reverse side of the nierika.

Akoma of West Africa presents this wood mask and gives it the title Acheampong, which has several meanings depending upon the region, including "one that gives birth to kings" and "powerful and complete." Hand carved of sese wood with aluminum plates to add detailing around the cheeks and eyes, this wood mask is intended for use as wall decor and would add a sense of strength and power to any room.

The striking image of Frida Kahlo gazes out from this colorful handcrafted ceramic plate. Designed by Mexican artisan Maria Isabel Cruz, the plate is made using the centuries-old dry rope technique, in which a wax mixture is applied to the outlines of the image or motif prior to glazing. The wax mixture creates a barrier that keeps the different fill colors in the design separate during firing, before burning off to reveal the blackened ceramic beneath. The plate can be hung on a wall for display via the nylon cord on the back.

Ghana's Victor Ayambire crafts this butterfly mask of his original design from native sese wood. The mask is enhanced with textured aluminum plate and hand-painted with colorful acrylics.

With their bold geometric patterns, these square trivets from Thai Tribal Crafts bring a fresh take on Lisu hill tribe appliqué to any setting. Made from a durable cotton blend, they’re ready to protect surfaces or serve as a colorful wall accent, each with a handy loop for hanging up when not in use.

Who said trivets have to be boring? These square ones from Thai Tribal Crafts break all the rules with bold Hmong hill tribe embroidered accents that steal the spotlight whether they're saving your dining table from a steaming casserole or jazzing up your kitchen wall. Crafted from a cotton blend, each accessory comes with a practical loop that lets it moonlight as wall art when it's off duty.

By Ghanaian artisan Kobina Asmah, this decorative plate will bring an air of reverence and African culture to any home. Kobina handcrafts the relief panel of sese wood in the shape of a plate, accentuated with embossed aluminum and brass in yellow and black tones. At the center, the image of the Adinkra symbol Gye Nyame is featured, meaning "except for God" and signifying God's supremacy.