With a flurry of Summer weddings already underway, are you looking for a special gift for your favorite couple? Forgo the pots and pans in favor of something original and handmade by artisans from around the world. Your friends and family will thank you!
Our Wedding Gift Guide is full of function and symbolism, celebrating the artisans who made each item and the stories behind their cultural heritage and significance. Take, for example, our Blue and White Porcelain Pot. The symbols on this pot depict a bridge, which represents a long journey and conjures up many stories in Chinese culture of people meeting romantically on or near a bridge. Your couple will love the romantic symbolism!
Our Woven Palm Baskets are hand woven by a cooperative of women from Zimbabwe. These baskets in local culture are used for serving fruit or gathering eggs and are given as a traditional Zimbabwean wedding gift! Talk about a perfect fit.
If you’re feeling a bit cheeky (or impatient, depending on your perspective), consider the Ashanti Doll, which is hand carved by a master wood carver in southern Ghana. In the tradition of the Ashanti Doll, women who were pregnant or hoping to become pregnant would carry these wooden figures around in their loin cloth or on their backs in order to ensure their own fertility and birth of beautiful children. These mamas-to-be would bathe the dolls, dress them, and adorn them with beads and jewelry. The ritual, it is believed, would bring health, happiness, good fortune and a safe delivery. After the birth of their children, many women would pass their doll down to the next generation. How sweet is that?
Are you going to a wedding this Summer? What are your favorite artisan-made wedding gifts?
SHOP THE GIFT GUIDE:
- Ashanti Doll (A Fertility Figure) | Hand Carved by Artisans in Ghana
- Marble Bowl – Lily | Handmade in India
- Vintage Mudcloth Pillow IV | Featuring Vintage Textiles From Mali and Belgian Linen
- Woven Palm Basket XXIX | Handwoven by a Women’s Cooperative in Zimbabwe
- Blue and White Porcelain Pot – Bridge | Handmade by Artisans in China
- Bone Inlay Box – Black Floral | Handmade by Artisans in India
- Baby Alpaca Throw Blanket – Natural (Perfect for Snuggling!) | Woven in Peru
- Recycled Glass Bead Strand – Watermelon | Handmade by a Women’s Cooperative in Ghana
- Vintage Chapati Plate II (One of a Kind!) | Handmade in Tamil Nadu, India