peace gifts

Hand carved and painted by Indonesian artist Gung Gus, this wood sculpture exudes peace and tranquility. Depicting a Buddhist monk deep in contemplation, the master is covered with floral and songbird motifs.

Paying homage to Buddha, Balinese artisan Wayan Rendah hand-carves this sculpture from suar wood with a rich natural grain. Resting atop a lotus flower, Buddha's face is captured in a serene expression that will surely bring an air of calmness and peace into your home.

"My inspiration for this piece mainly comes from my roots and my pride in Africa. The calabash and the world have a spherical shape and it means home. The world is the only home for mankind and other living things. The hands holding the earth on the calabash represent the hands of the individuals on this earth; they are the earth's hands. These hands mean knowing to be practical, logical and grounded. We are the rulers of this world and must act meaningfully to preserve what we live in. The dove with the leaf signifies peace, freedom and love depicting that we must love one another and act as messengers in sharing peace for unity. The beads of few nations around the calabash represent the countries in the world, that since we occupy our home we must see each other as one people by stopping racism. Living together harmoniously like the stars at night. Finally, world peace simply means that humans should be as the sun and the moon that live peacefully in the sky and rely on one another," says Ghana's Eliasu Adams about his intention for this sculpture. After painting a dove over a yellow background with hands holding the world, the artisan adds recycled glass beads and a steel stand to display the sculpture in all its beauty.

Standing on a lotus blossom, a monk closes his eyes in meditation. Nyoman Sudiana realistically portrays the serene features, graceful posture and flowing gown. He carves this exquisite image from Balinese suar wood.

By Guatemalan duo Juan and Carolina, this statuette depicts mother Mary as she holds baby Jesus. The reverent statuette is hand-carved from pinewood, decorated with floral motifs that are painted by hand.

Seated in a cross-legged position, Buddha meditates, completely at peace. Indonesian artisan Wayan Rendah creates this depiction of Buddha, which he carefully carves by hand from suar wood with a beautiful natural grain. The attention to detail lavished over Buddha's hair and flowing clothes is simply stunning.

Living a whole existence of adventures, lessons and discipline, this old sage comes from distant lands to help you find peace with a series of symbolic gifts. Hand-carved to detail as an homage to Chinese philosophy, this kadam wood sculpture, crafted by Motilal and Ayush from India, portrays the old master holding a fish, representing earthly pursuits, and a sword, a sign of divine justice, both items inviting you to find balance between the human and spiritual worlds.

"The tree of hearts is designed from personal inspiration. It's a metaphor of hope as I imagined a tree with heart-shaped fruits that when ripe, a person could pick and give as a present, or perhaps exchange, or else give to people who need to be more sensitive towards others, and why not be more to sensitive to the environment?" says Luitpol as he shares his reflections. "The boy jumping up and down shows his happiness at being next to the tree of hearts and feeling the effects of its fruits: love, peace, unity, and sensibility."

Titled "Árbol de corazones" in Spanish.

The beautiful Buddhist goddess Kwan Im folds her arms and closes her eyes in prayer. By Wayan Rendah, this exquisite portrait is carved by hand from crocodile wood. The reverent image seems to radiate sensations of peace.

This beautiful statuette by Balinese artisan Wayan Rendah shows Buddha in a deep state of meditation. Hand crafted from native suar wood, the intricate detailing of Buddha's hair, face, and clothing is truly exquisite. The pose in which Buddha sits is traditionally known as dhyana mudra, where his right hand represents enlightenment, and the left is the illusory nature of existence.

Taking a break on their hurried journey to Egypt, Mary comforts baby Jesus as a weary Joseph leans on his staff, thinking about the future. In an effort to wipe out all competition for his throne, Herod ordered the death of every child in Bethlehem under the age of two. To save the life of their baby, the Holy Family sought refuge in a foreign land, just as many do in these fast-paced times. Jose Canil Ramos of Guatemala honors the Holy Family with these two pinewood sculptures, carved and painted by hand with sweet floral details, wishing for every struggling family to reach peace.