pretty jars

Jaifah Aksornsri of Thailand creates this beautiful decorative jar that adds a lovely Thai accent to home decor. Hand woven bamboo is used, which is covered in clay and painted in a rich dark green color with a beautiful, trumpeting elephant design on all sides, as well as on the lid. Woven bamboo and cotton rope adorn the exterior in a style that is traditional to Thai rice jars of old. The jar sits on a base of native raintree wood. The name Lanna comes from an ancient region in Northern Thailand that was known as the "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields."

Almost celestial, its spherical tendency drenched in vermilion mystery, this decorative vase intrigues with the sensuality of lacquered designs. From the hands of Daeng Thanunchai, the piece offers a flawless Thai accent for any home décor.

To complete this piece, coiled bamboo basketry is firstly carved on a lathe into the desired shape. A mixture of lacquer - obtained from the Gluta usitata tree - and ashes of burnt rice paddy husks is then applied to the object. Upon exposure to air the mixture dries to form a watertight seal that is polished before another coat is applied. This process is repeated until a rigid base is formed, and a final polishing is executed with sandpaper. Then several coats of pure lacquer are painted on the object, with drying periods in between each coat.

The work is partially polished with sandpaper according to a predetermined pattern - generally concentric - and a few coats of different lacquer colors are applied to the surface. Then the object is left to dry for a few days. The process remains identical for each ensuing color, alternating lacquering and polishing sessions until the design is achieved. The final coat is washed with water and polished with powdered fired clay, offering an irresistible sheen.

Jaifah Aksornsri creates a sleek, beautiful jar with a pedestal foot. Handcrafted of mango wood, its lid evokes Thai temple spires.

Floral paths lead to Puebla, the birthplace of Mexico's Talavera pottery. A master of colonial Majolica ceramics, Gorky González creates this elegant jar. Patterned after a Chinese ginger jar, the tibor is a classic shape in Talavera designs. The artisan signs his work "AT," for alfarería tradicional (traditional ceramics).

Perfect for holding beauty supplies like cotton balls and Q-tips, small desk supplies like paper clips, or kitchen essentials like rubber bands, this lovely ceramic cylindrical decorative jar is handcrafted by Mexican artisan Topiltzin Castro in the Talavera style. On the body of the container, the artisan hand-paints a motif of diagonal rows of white teardrops interspersed with warm brown dots and alternating scallop-edged rows of avocado green horizontal pinstripes. The background is left unglazed, allowing the matte, natural ivory color of the ceramic to show through. The same motif is on the lid, with the rows spiraling in to the center. The rims of the container and lid, and the lid's knob, are painted a warm brown.

A cabochon of Andean opal centers this pretty cross pendant necklace from Peru's Patricia Jara. The artisan works in polished sterling silver to create the cross, which is suspended on a sterling silver rope chain.

Dewa Putra's hand crafted candle set will fill your home with warm, ambient light. Using an eco-friendly, unscented blend of beeswax and palm wax, the Balinese artisan creates three neutral-colored candles housed in aluminum jars. The jars are embossed with pretty flowers for a look you won't mind showing off.

Fill your home with the soft, ambient light of Dewa Putra's handcrafted candle set. Using an eco-friendly, unscented blend of beeswax and palm wax, the Balinese artisan creates three neutral-colored candles housed in an aluminum jars. The jars are embossed with pretty flowers for a look you won't mind showing off.

Light your home in a soft ambient light with this handcrafted candle by Bali's Dewa Putra. Using an eco-friendly, unscented blend of beeswax and palm wax, the artisan creates a neutral-colored candle housed in an aluminum jar. The jar is embossed with pretty flowers for a look you won't mind showing off. Please note the candle's burn time is a total of 50 hours.

Patricia Jara creates a beautiful synthesis of ancient and modern, stone and sterling silver. Crafted by hand, these earrings feature polished obsidian. "For the Inca and pre-Inca, the square was very special. The geometry of these earrings is important through my culture," the Peruvian artisan says.

Like a window into nature's gifts, cool gemstones reveal their innate allure. Patricia Jara selects enhanced Andean opal for these lovely earrings. She frames the stones in sleek sterling silver settings.

.925 Sterling silver

Patricia Jara creates a beautiful synthesis of ancient and modern in stone and silver. Crafted by hand, these earrings feature chrysocolla. "For the Inca and pre-Inca, the square was very special. The geometry of these earrings is important through my culture," Jara says.

925 sterling silver