Art & Craft shopping in Asia
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Hieu Phuc Loi
Local watercolour artists all have their own stamp with which they sign their works. Such elegantly designed, personalised stamps can be purchased at cluttered little shops such as this one for around ₫35 or more. The designs are hand-carved on wood blocks, and you'll get a red-ink stamp pad along with your purchase. Stick around to watch 'em make yours.
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Tim Abdulla Khan
For carpets, you couldn't ask for a better shopping atmosphere than at the silk weaving and carpet centre in the late 16th-century Tim Abdulla Khan, near Taqi-Telpaq Furushon Bazaar (a tim was a general market). They are not pushy and will openly inform you on what's handmade and what's machine-made. You can watch silk-carpet weavers in action here.
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Sadhna
This is the outlet for Seva Mandir, an NGO set up in 1969 to help rural women. The small shop sells attractive fixed-price textiles; profits go to the artisans and towards community development work.
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State Emporiums
These neighbouring state government emporiums showcase products from different states, from Rajasthan to Kashmir. Set aside several hours for these fabulous shops.
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Gallery Pristine
More showroom than gallery, this collection proves that Shahid Parvez and friends are the pick of Udaipur's rich crop of contemporary artists.
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Cauvery Arts & Crafts Emporium
Not the cheapest place, but the selection is extensive and there’s no pressure to buy.
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Tainan Kuang Tsai Embroidery Shop
Across from one treasure of Tainan, the War God Temple, is this other, Mr Lin, one of the last remaining embroidery masters in Tainan. Mr Lin has been working at his craft since he was 16 (he's in his late 60s now) and in recent years has taken the craft to a new, modern level. All his pieces have the light touch and expressiveness of a craftsman truly at the peak of his skills.
The most famous and expensive samples of his work are the long Eight Immortals panels, which used to be popular at weddings and other special occasions. Such panels cost tens of thousands of Taiwanese dollars but this doesn't stop buyers from all over the world coming to the shop. Smaller pieces c…
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Human House
Human House not only has a good selection of carpets, skull caps, suzani and other textiles from various Uzbek provinces, but also doubles as one of Tashkent's most fashionable boutiques, featuring modern clothing infused with Uzbek styles and designs. They also stage quarterly fashion shows to exhibit the work of their hand-picked designers. Human House's Unesco-supported latest project, dubbed Human Made, is a silk-making and weaving school/factory on the outskirts of town.
'We are going to build our own generation of weavers to help revive the craft of textiles in Tashkent', says commercial director Dina Malkova. The factory will offer tours similar to those given by t…
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The Kishkinda Trust
The Kishkinda Trust runs programmes and builds business opportunities in Anegundi that benefit both the local community and help preserve the village's heritage and culture. The first project in 1997 created a cottage industry of crafts using locally produced cloth, banana fibres and river grasses. It now employs over 500 women and the attractive crafts are sold across India. You can view the range at the Hoova Craft Shop & Café in the village centre.
With international support, one of the village's traditional houses has been rehabilitated and turned into an interpretation centre. The Kishkinda Trust's latest project is a series of homestays and guesthouses around the v…
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Art Galleries
The presence of numerous tourists has turned the fake-antique business into a major growth industry for Hoi An. Theoretically you could find something here that is really old, but it's hard to believe that all the genuine stuff wasn't scooped up long ago. Proceed with scepticism. On the other hand, there is some really elegant artwork around, even if it was turned out only yesterday.
Paintings are generally of the mass-produced kind, but are still hand-painted; for a few US dollars you can't complain. A row of Art Galleries, inside the gorgeous old buildings just across from the Japanese Covered Bridge, are great to browse through.
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Authentic Himalayan Textiles
Authentic Himalayan Textiles 'From exile to textiles' could be the slogan in this stylish showroom, which specialises in antique striped Tibetan aprons, known as pangden, that have been collected from across the Himalaya (each region has its own characteristic design). Older pieces are used to create stylish patchwork wall hangings, cushion covers and bags, and any spare threads are rewoven into carpets.
Even the carpet dust is reused in paper production! Products aren't cheap but you can be sure that only traditional vegetable dyes have been used.
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Shoba Display Gallery
Beautiful lacework made right here in the shop – many of the finished products are used in the costumes of big-budget period dramas. The shop is the base for innovative charity Power of Hands Foundation (www.powerofhandsfoundation.com), which teaches local women dying crafts and ensures them a fair price for their work. Even if you’re not buying, pop in to witness the process of making lace – amazing! If you’re interested in a more hands-on approach, then (with advance notice) they’ll teach you how to weave your own lacy wonder.
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Pakistan Handicrafts
The otherwise disappointing Pakistan Handicrafts sometimes has some standout handicrafts from Cholistan at affordable prices. Cholistani handicrafts include chungirs (bread plates made from date palm leaves), rillis (allpurpose cotton patchwork blankets), falasis (weavings of camel hair and cotton, used as carpets, wall hangings, etc), embroidered dupattas (long scarves), kurtas (long shirts with either short or no collars) and khalitis (ladies' embroidered purses).
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Mekong Blue
A silk-weaving centre on the outskirts of Stung Treng, Mekong Blue is part of the Stung Treng Women's Development Centre. Mekong Blue specialises in exquisite silk products for sale and export. It is possible to see the dyers and weavers in action at this centre, most of whom come from vulnerable or impoverished backgrounds. There is a small showroom on site with a selection of silk on sale, plus a café. The centre is located about 4km east of the centre and moto drivers know the place.
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Weaves of Cambodia
The Weaves of Cambodia silk-weaving centre, known locally as Chum Ka Mon, was established by the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) to rehabilitate amputees injured by land mines. Its artisans - who are at their hand looms from 07:00 to 11:00 Monday to Saturday - produce fine silk scarves and sarongs for export to Australia, Japan and the USA. To get there from the hospital on NH64, head four blocks east and half-a-block south.
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Mahaguthi, Durbar Sq
One of the best of the 'crafts with a conscience' is Mahaguthi, which was established with the help of Oxfam. It has three shops and sells a wide range of crafts produced by thousands of people across Nepal. It's a one-stop shop for beautiful hand-woven dhaka weavings, Nepali paper, pottery, block prints, woven bamboo, pashminas, woodcrafts, jewellery, knitwear, embroidery and Mithila paintings. The main showroom is in Kopundol.
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Muhammed Art Gallery
If you are looking to buy some locally produced art, try Muhammed Art Gallery, run by artist Allamurat Muhammedov. The unique collection has Muhammedov's own works set around his studio, plus a museum of ancient artefacts. The gallery is next to City Pub (look for the metal gate with the stained-glass horse design). Muhammedov, who speaks English, has displayed his art in galleries worldwide and welcomes foreign visitors in for tea.
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Ha Gallery
In this busy atelier, half a dozen painters crouch before easels and knock out reproductions of classic paintings such as the Mona Lisa and Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. The quality of the works varies and would never be mistaken for the originals - but, let's face it, you can't afford the originals (these copies cost from US$40). You can also commission portraits of yourself, your sweetheart or your dog.
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Khiva Silk Carpet Workshop
At the Khiva Silk Carpet Workshop, apprentice carpet makers hand-weave silk rugs patterned after Khiva-style majolica tiles, doors and miniature paintings. There's lots of natural-dyed silk hanging around and you can watch women work the looms. Ask the personable English-speaking manager Jalol for a tour. They have a second workshop in the Kutlimurodinok Medressa, where there are other handicraft workshops as well.
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Pottery Development Center
The golden-hued mud piled up in the yards of Ondong Rossey is quarried at nearby Phnom Krang Dai Meas and pounded into fine clay before being shaped and fired; only at the last stage does it acquire a pinkish hue. Pieces, including piggy banks, can be purchased at the Pottery Development Center. In Kompong Chhnang, several stalls selling Ondong Rossey pottery can be found on NH5 towards Phnom Penh from the centre.
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Isanborei Crafts Shop
Forested and shady, Sambor Prei Kuk has a serene and soothing atmosphere, enhanced by a recent anti-litter campaign, and the sandy paths make for a pleasant stroll. Just past the ticket booth, the Isanborei Crafts Shop sells a worthwhile English brochure, high-quality, hand-crafted basket and wood items, and T-shirts with original designs. Nearby, several small eateries sell drinks and chicken or beef with rice.
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Babar Mahal Revisited
This unique complex of old Rana palace outbuildings, originally built in 1919, has been redeveloped to house a warren of chic clothes shops, designer galleries, handicraft shops and even a wine shop, as well as a couple of top-end restaurants and bars. It's aimed squarely at local expats and wealthy locals so prices are as high as the quality. It's southeast of the city near the Singh Durbar government offices.
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Rural Handicrafts Sales Centre
The Rural Handicrafts Sales Centre is a showroom for Khaling’s National Handloom Development Project, so is the place to pick up woven kiras, table runners and scarves, particularly if you can’t make it to the weaving centre in Khaling. Kiras aren’t cheap (Nu 4000 to 16,000) but bear in mind that an elaborate piece can take up to six months to weave.
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marble-carving shops
On the rural east bank, walk south along the river road and you'll come upon a number of small marble-carving shops, where artisans make - and sell - everything from tiny tchotchkes to huge smiling Buddhas (also on sale in shops along NH5, including Chea Phally Marble Carving).You may also see groups of women making naom banchok (thick rice noodles) that they sell fresh in the market.
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Poompuhar Handicrafts Emporium
Mamallapuram wakes each day to the sound of sculptors' chisels on granite. You can browse hassle-free and buy from the fixed-price Poompuhar Handicrafts Emporium or from the craft shops that line the main roads (prices negotiable). Sculptures range from Rs 300 (for a small piece to fit in your baggage) to Rs 400,000 for a massive Ganesh that needs to be lifted with a mobile crane.
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