The little treasures we find during our travels abroad – from snow globes to swords – make for great decorative ornaments for our home.
Many of us hoarders have trouble discarding things, including souvenirs from our travels. I’m talking about hotel matchboxes, postcards, ticket stubs, brochures and even the packaging from the snacks we bought in Japan, for instance (which we keep because they are so cute). We fear that losing these items means we will no longer have something to connect us to those places we have visited.
So what to do? The solution I’m proposing is, instead of holding on to clutter-creating memorabilia, why not buy souvenirs that matter next time – something that can last, is worth keeping, beautiful to display and can personalize your home?
Toledo Swords
Toledo is one of Europe’s oldest cities, famous for its steel, swords and shields. This was where Europe’s cavalry weapons were made before firearms were introduced. Toledo swords are worthy as a collector’s item. You can hang them on the wall or place them on a stand. Although today the swords are made exclusively for tourists, they still boast good quality and can still be used as a weapon. These swords can be found anywhere in Toledo. And if you happen to be a fan of sword fighting-heavy action movies such as ‘Gladiator’ or ‘Lord of the Rings’, you can buy the replicas of the swords used in the movies here.
Mexican Yarn Painting
Yarn painting by the Huichol Indians began in Northwestern Mexico in the early 1960s when the Huichols were looking for new arts and crafts souvenirs to sell to tourists. The art is now prized by collectors of folk art around the world. Most of these paintings tell stories of Huichol gods and ancestors set in a mystical natural environment where past and present overlap. These paintings are richly textured and colored, featuring brightly colored yarn applied to a board coated with beeswax. Hang these folk art paintings on your walls to add color and character to your décor.
Venice Hand Blown Glass
Hand-blown glass products from Venice, particularly Murano, such as vases, chandeliers and figurines make for a great centerpiece in your home. They are made by Murano artisans in the ancient workshops of Murano, which are run by family business that have been passed down for generations. Almost every workshop has its own shop where you can buy these excellent crafts. Each item is intricately handcrafted so that no two are exactly alike, with the vases being the most sought-after. Sophisticated and elegant, a Murano vase can enhance any room, whether you display the vase by itself or use it to play up a beautiful flower arrangement. They are fine enough to be family heirlooms and fascinating enough to be conversation starters.
Turkish Tea Set
Another souvenir that makes for a great ornament is the Turkish tea set. Consisting of a teapot and several tea glasses, a Turkish tea set is a definite eye-catcher to display in your cupboard. The teapots are adorned with Islamic inscriptions and made in unique shapes: thin in the middle and wide at the base. The teapots have a lid attached and a long, thin spout. The tea glasses are small and tulip-shaped with golden rims. As Turkish tea is served boiling hot, the glass is usually held by the rim to keep the drinker’s fingertips from being burned. Enjoy tea with friends using this tea set and hear their appreciative exclamations.
Moroccan Inlaid Wood
Beautifully carved wood products can be found throughout Morocco. However, Essaouira is one of the best places to buy inlaid wood. In this seaside town, there are dark, narrow rooms beneath the town’s medieval ramparts which were once used to shelter donkeys and goats. Today, they are the homes of arguably the world’s finest marquetry artists. In this wood-workers souk, every workshop is stuffed with intricate inlaid wooden items which are piled high. Souvenirs include small wooden boxes, vases, and chess sets. If you don’t mind spending money to ship things home, you can buy gorgeous tabletops and other furniture items. The marquetry work is inexpensive, especially if you buy directly from the artists. Half a dozen small boxes, for instance, can be bought for US$3 – 5.
Chinese Carvings
Chinese carvings are absolutely beautiful to display. Although this art differs greatly from western art, it has thrived historically. Chinese jade carvings, for instance, have evolved over the centuries, reflecting popular customs, religion and folk tales. Meanwhile, Beijing carved lacquer ware has long enjoyed global admiration for its exceptional craftsmanship. The materials used for Chinese sculpture and carving work are highly varied. Chinese sculptors have sculpted delicate objects such as figurines, animals, plants and landscapes using materials such as stone, wood root, bamboo, clay, ice, nut, ivory, bone, sand and coal, apart from the traditional bronze and jade. When you decorate your home with it, you’ll see its sense of sophistication.
Japanese Daruma Dolls
With rounded mostly red bodies and often made of papier-mâché, Daruma dolls are a favorite souvenir for visitors to Japan. The doll can be found virtually everywhere. There are beliefs about the power of these dolls; their eyes and the size of the dolls being of particular importance. Before purchase, the doll’s eyes are simply white circles without pupils. To unleash the Daruma doll’s power, the owner must make a wish or state a goal while filling in the pupil of the doll’s right eye. When the wish or goal is realized, the pupil of the remaining eye is filled in. Daruma dolls make great ornaments to display on your shelf, to say nothing of their power to bring you good luck!
Snow Globes from Around the World
Imagine how fantastic it would be to have floor-to-ceiling shelving in your home displaying snow globes from every country you’ve ever visited. It’s definitely an interior statement. And of course, you can buy more than one snow globe from one city. New York, for instance, has souvenir shops that sell snow globes in varied sizes and designs. One snow globe may only capture the Liberty statue, while others feature the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the Grand Central Station. Another snow globe features all of the above, plus the Brooklyn Bridge! Today’s snow globes can include music boxes, moving parts, internal lights, and even electric motors that agitate the snow so that it is no longer necessary to shake the globe. Some also have central slots for positioning items such as photographs. Each snow globe is a collectible souvenir and a fun addition to any snow globe collection.
Photos by: Marco, Lynn, Kayla Sowyer, Halimah, Camelia Twu, Betty Montgomery, Eesti, Liz B.
