Unique Hidden Treasures

Are you a collector of handcrafted one of a kind treasures or you are looking for affordable Holiday gifts take a look at these sculptors of great artistry.

In agricultural societies, natural fibers from plants and produce byproducts were some of the most convenient materials available, so weavers would make baskets from bamboo, merchants and housewives made brooms from straw, and cobblers made sandals from tree bark. Kids had to make their own toys with these materials, so they made bamboo dragon flies, straw rings, and watches. Sometimes they learned weaving skills from their peers, sometimes from their parents, which would result in a child learning how to make toys and practical objects. For most children, toys made from natural fibers have long been replaced by Gameboys. For those who made their own toys when they were kids, the skills are a distant memory. For Rashid and his wife Meifanz, however, the toys and skills that accompanied their childhood were not only not forgotten but matured into a passion. A couple of straws or leaves, with a few tools, through folding, weaving, and twisting, morph into an ant, a grasshopper, a frog, or any of the 12 Chinese zodiacs.