wooden chests

Ana Maria Gonzalez in Mexico creates this fun jewelry chest, employing the decoupage technique. A skeletal bride and groom are depicted on the top and front of the pinewood box, in homage to José Guadalupe Posada's La Calavera Catrina. The small chest features two drawers for storing small treasures.

The original "La Calavera Catrina" was a zinc etching created by the artist José Guadalupe Posada in Mexico around 1910. Posada created the character, a female skeleton with an elegant hat, as a satirical portrait of Mexican natives who aspired to European style and denied their own heritage. The catrina has since become an emblem of Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration and a popular folk art subject.

Like a lovely embrace, a little bead tied to a red nylon cord goes around this heart-shaped piece, creating a challenging game of logic. Thai artisan Waraporn Khamsuk works with raintree wood to make this romantic disentanglement puzzle game of sturdy pieces. The mission is to release the bead and cord from the heart through delicate and wise movements.

Jayaprana and Layonsari are forever reunited in this hand-carved backgammon set by Ketut Sandi. According to legend, the king was mad with desire for Layonsari, and so had her husband, Jayaprana, killed. Rather than submit to the monarch, Layonsari killed herself, and joined her beloved husband in heaven. The artisan's expertise is evident in the detailed and expressive images of the eternal lovers. He uses manual tools to carve the portraits from native cempaka wood. The checkers and dice are all carved by hand as well; the lighter pieces are carved from the external part of the wood.

Challenge your perseverance and skills with a touch of love! Arti Sharma's acacia wood labyrinth game is crafted by talented artisans from India, whose expertise allows them to create the intricate paths that compose this fun game. Whether by yourself or with friends, the game's mission is to lead the steel marbles to the core, navigating the different formations that compose this heart-shaped design.