Gaucho goods. The lifestyle of the Gaucho, or South American cowboy, is revered in Argentina, and Gaucho crafts are popular there. Look for boleadoras, weighted, leather-covered balls attached to a piece of rope and used for hunting; silver-studded leather belts and stirrups; facones (knives); mate drinking gourds; silver spurs; cowhides; and woven ponchos at Kelly's Regionales (tel. +54 11 4311 5712).
Pottery. Potters in northwest Argentina create beautiful carved and painted pre-Columbian pottery from river clay (the Guayamba River in Santiago del Estero is popular for clay). After the pottery is molded and fired, glazes made of goat manure are applied for a gleaming black finish, and special paints create etching-like designs. Buy pottery from markets around northwest Argentina and from Pampa Brava (tel. +54 11 4802 7407).
Bolivia Musical instruments. Bolivian artists make unique instruments that look as good as they sound. The charango is a stringed-mandolin made of armadillo-shell or wood and traditionally carried by llama herders, and the quenca is an Inca flute made of wood or bamboo. Try the Calle Sagarnaga market in La Paz or the Sunday market in Tarabuco.
Hats. Due to the high altitude of the Andes, the sun in Bolivia is intense, and hats (over 100 different styles) are a necessity. Look for the brown or grey felt bombin (bowler hats) of the Aymara women of La Paz; the white straw top hat of Quechua women of Cochabamba; or the stovepipe-shaped hat of the women of Potosi. Find hundreds of hats of different styles, materials, and colors in markets across the country, including Calle Sagarnaga market in La Paz.
Textiles. Historically, the Aymara Indians of the Bolivian Altiplano were known for their quality woven goods. Although factory-made goods are replacing traditional woven crafts, travelers can still find alpaca or llama-wool blankets, ponchos, and other clothing dyed with brilliant colors. Look for textiles in Bolivia's best weaving villages, including Calcha, Tarabuco, Charazani, Sica Sica, and Calamarca.
Brazil
Baskets and other woven goods. Brazil's outdoor markets overflow with cheery pink, yellow, green, and blue grass baskets. Craftsmen dye, weave, and crochet palm fronds and grasses into light, flexible purses, rugs, placemats, sandals, and baskets. Find them in markets throughout Brazil including the Ipanema Fair (Hippie Fair) Sundays at the Parca General Osorio in Ipanema, or in the FUNAI Craft Shop in Botafogo (Museu do Indio, Rua das Palmeiras 55) or Arquias in Sao Paulo (Rua Oscar Freire, 540 loja 4; tel. +55 11 3083 0009).
Lace. The Portugese brought lace to Brazil in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, and rendeiras (lacemakers) continue the tradition today. Visit the fishing villages of Ceara for renda de bilros (bobbin lace); Aracati, south of Fortaleza, for labirinto (labyrinth lace); Pesqueira for Irish lace; and Santa Catarina for bilro and tramóia laces. Go lace shopping in Fortaleza at Rend'art (458-A Avenida Monsenhor Tabosa; tel. + 55 85 231 2989), Luiza Tavora Handicraft Center (1589 Avenida Santos Dumont; tel. +55 85 261 6236), and Emcetur (350 Avenida Senador Pompeu; tel. +55 85 231 3566).
Inuit carving. Many Inuit artists quarry their own soapstone, marble, basalt, limestone, or serpentine to carve animals, people, and spiritual imagery based on Inuit legends. Antler, ivory, and whalebone carvings are also available, but travelers should check customs regulations before purchasing animal products. Look for carvings in northern Canada shops and in the Ontario Crafts Council's retail outlet, the Guild Shop in Toronto (118 Cumberland St.; tel. +1 416 921 1721).
Caribou tufting. Nimble-fingered Inuit artists sew bundles of dyed and undyed caribou hairs onto fabric, hide, or bark to create intricate three-dimensional flowers, animals, and landscapes used to decorate moccasins, purses, and belts. Look for this appliqué-like handiwork in shops in the Nunavut and Nunavik regions of northwestern Canada, or in the Ontario Crafts Council's retail outlet, the Guild Shop in Toronto (118 Cumberland St.; tel. +1 416 921 1721).
Quill boxes. Made from dyed porcupine quills embedded in round birch bark frames and decorated with sweetgrass, quill boxes are an Aboriginal specialty. Look for pieces by renowned Shaman artist Norval Morrisseau. Buy these two-to-five-inch boxes at the Indian-operated Whetung Ojibwa Crafts and Art Gallery (tel. +1 705 657 3661), or commission work directly from artists. Button blankets. Artists sew abalone shells or mother-of-pearl buttons into animal outlines (like whale, wolf, eagle, or fish) on wool blankets. Button blankets were traditionally made with shells. After contact with white settlers, artists began using the buttons and wool blankets brought by maritime fur and Hudson's Bay traders. Find these ceremonial blankets or shawls in west coast galleries.
Birch bark biting. Although it began as a casual art among Aboriginal women testing out designs for quill or beadwork, birch bark biting has grown into a fine art practiced by artists like Angelique Merasty of Manitoba. The method is similar to making paper snowflakes: Thin pieces of birch bark are folded it into quarters or eights, and artists bite designs into the thin wood. Unfolded, the birch bark reveals designs, including geometric, floral, animal, and human patterns. Look for this craft at Ojibwa (Chippewa), Cree, and Algonquin galleries.
Inuit soapstone sculpture from Nunavut, northern Quebec, Labrador, and Baffin Island. One of the best galleries for Inuit art is Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery in Vancouver (1024 Mainland St.; tel. +1 604 685 9298; e-mail coastalpeoples@telus.net).
Cowichan sweaters. Heavy, hand-knitted sweaters made by West Coast Salish people on Vancouver Island. The Cowichan Trading Company in Victoria, B.C. (tel. +1 250 383 0321), guarantees authenticity. Genuine Cowichan sweaters are given a special label that indicates they were knitted and crafted by Cowichan artisans. Also visit Sasquatch Trading Ltd. for authentic sweaters (1233 Government St., Victoria, B.C.; tel. +1 250 386 9033).
Totem poles. The Tlingit of Alaska, and Haida and Tsimshian of western Canada carve totem poles from cedar, but travelers may opt for miniature wood or black slate carvings at shops throughout the Northwest U.S. and Canada, including Hill's Native Art in Vancouver (tel. +1 604 685 4249), and in Native American craft stands throughout the region. Avoid mass-produced and imported totem poles by asking for the artist name or Native community, and expect to pay over $100 for quality authentic carvings.
Lapis Lazuli. Don't leave Chile without a brooch or bauble made from the country's signature stone, lapis lazuli, a deep blue semiprecious stone flecked with golden specks of pyrite and white calcite. Bellavista is known for its lapis lazuli work—head there, in Santiago, for jewelry or figurines. Try Lapiz Lazuli Handicrafts Factory (Bellavista 0298), Chile Handicrafts (Bellavista 0211) or Carillanca Workshop (043 Antonion Lopez de Bello).
Woven ponchos. The town of Chonchi, south of Castro, on the island of Chiloé is known for its woven goods. Woven wool is made into durable blankets and ponchos worn by locals and travelers alike. Because the wool is raw and full of natural oils, most blankets and ponchos are water-resistant. Buy them from markets in Puerto Montt and from the artisans' village in Centro Artesanal Los Dominicos (Av Apoquindo 9085, tel. +56 2 245 4152), which carries one of Santiago's largest selections of crafts.
Costa Rica Woodcraft. Sarchi is Costa Rica's woodcrafts capital. Artists carve native woods into salad bowls, rocking chairs, boxes, toys, and jewelry, and Costa Rica's trademark craft, white, red, or orange carretas (ox carts), painted with mandala designs. Buy woodcrafts in Sarchi's markets, or head an hour southeast to downtown San Jose's excellent Galeria Namu (Avda. 7.; tel. +506 256 3412) for some of the best Costa Rican folkloric and indigenous art.
Pottery and ceramics. The indigenous Chorotega people of Guatil, Costa Rica throw traditional, pre-Columbian Chorotega pottery using local tan, red ochre, and black sand to color the clay, and special paints to decorate the pottery with intricate geometric designs. In Santa Ana, in the Costa Rican Highlands, potters produce gleaming green-glazed bowls, urns, vases, and small tipico adobe houses. Buy both at Galeria Namu (Avda. 7; tel. +506 256 3412), or Kaltak Artesanias (tel. +506 297 2736).
Cuba
Guayabera shirts. An open-necked cotton shirt, often with large pockets and pleats down the front, which originated in Cuba in the 1800s. Buy at El Quitrín (Calle Obispo #163, Habana Vieja, Havana, tel. +53 [0]7 862 0810).
Papier-mâché 1950s autos. Buy at the Feria de Artesanía, Calle Tacón, Habana Vieja, an open-air market that is the best place to shop for arts and crafts.
Handmade guitars. Produced at the Industria de Instrumentos Musicales Fernando Ortíz (Calle Pedroso #12, Cerro, Havana; tel. +53 [0]7 879 3161).
Ecuador Ikat textiles. Ikat is an ancient dyeing technique in which the warp threads of a handwoven fabric are tied and dyed before the piece is woven. Look for panos, indigo-dyed cotton shawls with intricate macramé fringe in Gualeceo, as well as ponchos, blankets, and wool belts woven with traditional motifs of pottery and animals in Canar, Salcedo, and Salasaca.
Jewelry. The early people of Ecuador were master metalworkers, and today jewelers still produce excellent silver, nickel, and brass jewelry. Buy tupus, decorated shawl pins, in Saraguro, and gold and silver filigree jewelry in Chordeleg.
Ceramics. The indigenous Oriente women of Canelos Quichua in eastern Ecuador are known for their eggshell-thin, hand-coiled ceramics painted with scenes from daily life and mythology. Find them in weekend markets in eastern Ecuador and in showrooms in Cuenca, San Miguel, and Chordeleg.
Guatemala
Mayan textiles. The Mayans are known for their brilliantly colored woven goods. Look for embroidered huipiles (tunics), cortes (skirts), fajas (belts), and purses, tablecloths, and blankets at the markets in Chichicastenango, and at the stalls in Calle Santandar in Panajachel, Mercado Central in Guatemala City, and Mercado Artesanias in Antigua.
Masks. Watch artists in their morerias (workshops) create expressive human and animal-face masks from white pine, cedar, or palo de pito wood. The masks are used in traditional dances around the country. Buy them at markets in Chichicastenango and around the country.
Jewelry. Introduced by Dominican friars for the crafting of religious objects, silver-working in Guatemala today takes many forms: charms, necklaces, earrings, medals, icons, and the like. Some of the best silver work is found in the north-central region of Alta Verapaz. Hand-beaded jewelry is a specialty of the women living in the handful of villages along the shores of Lake Atitlán, introduced 30 years ago as an alternative, autonomous revenue stream. The women apply their astute sense of color, developed over generations of weaving textiles, to beading necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
Jícara.Jícara, the dried fruit from the tree of the same name, is harvested and carved into bowls, cups, and jugs. Once functional tools of daily life throughout much of Central America, jícara are now primarily souvenirs intricately carved with vibrant scenes from the natural world—toucans, anteaters, butterflies, flowers, and hummingbirds. Rabinal, a town in the central Baja Verapaz department, is best known for jícara.
Ironwork. Referred to as Fer-de-Coupe, Haitian ironwork originated in Croix-de-Bouquets, a town about a half-hour drive from Port-au-Prince. Artists here make sculptures out of flattened steel oil drums. Some items are left unfinished and others are brightly painted.
Jacmel wood art. Artists in the southeastern coastal town of Jacmel create colorful wood products and papier-mâché masks.
Mexico
Oaxaca is the state with the most indigenous influence, resulting in high quality and unique pieces.
Wood Carvings from the villages of San Martin Tilcajete, San Antonio Arrazola, and La Union. Artists here are known for their folk-art sculptures made of wood. Buy a classic animal figurine from the Aragon Brothers or a more abstract design from the Jimenez family. Also look for the colorful wooden animals of Juan Fabian Cuevas.
Basketry in Juchitán. Marvel at the complex basket designs artists can make out of simple tools like bamboo and palm fronds. Weavers also specialize in making sombreros, mats, and bags.
Black pottery in San Bartolo Coyotepec. Made by Valente Nieto, the son of Doña Rosa, who became famous throughout Mexico for her perfectly round black pots, made entirely without a wheel.
Handwoven rugs from Teotitlán del Valle. Arnulfo Mendoza takes traditional Zapotec designs of rugs and serapes of Teotitlán del Valle and creates intricate works of art, using silks and brilliant colors.
Clay figures from the Aguilar sisters. The four Aguilar sisters all live next to each other in large extended families just outside the town of Ocotlán. Each sister works in clay, but each has a distinctive style.
Talavera pottery from Puebla. Beautifully glazed pottery named for the Spanish city in which it originated. The Guevara, Padierna, La Reina, and Uriarte factories are the most important ones.
Handmade paper. Artisans in San Andrés Larráinzar produce flower-inlaid journals, silkscreened postcards, and other products using natural dyes and botanicals.
Nicaragua
Crafts at Masaya. Located about an hour and a half outside of Managua, Masaya has a large market where you can find crafts from all over the country. They sell hammocks, furniture, tropical wood products, soapstone carvings from San Juan de Limay, and the black pottery from Matagalpa.
Pottery from San Juan de Oriente. Located not far from Masaya; there is a pottery cooperative at the entrance of the town and small stores line the main street. Probably every third house is home to a potter who has vases for sale.
Pottery vases and figures of Chulucanas. Chulucanas is located in the northwest part of Peru, but Chulucanas pottery can be found in just about any artesanía store in Lima as well. The distinctive characteristic of this pottery is the beautiful deep brown coloring achieved by smoking it in organic materials such as maongo leaves.
Pottery and other crafts from the lowlands of Peru. From Pulcalpa up to Iquitos, there is a variety of traditional crafts from the local indigenous groups. The Shipibo make a distinctive pottery decorated with unusual geometric patterns in white, rusts, and browns.
Wool clothing and textiles. In the Highlands of Peru artisans make beautiful items. The rugs and wall hangings of Ayacucho are amazing as well as the backstrap woven textiles of the Cusco region. The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco is a nonprofit organization helping to revive the traditional textiles.
Puerto Rico Vejigante masks. Carnival performers wear these garish papier mâché and coconut-shell masks, painted in bright colors and accentuated with horns and spiked teeth, to scare sinners into church (or scare evil spirits away). Look for these expressive masks at the mask-making cities of Ponce and Loiza, and in shops in Old San Juan.
Hammocks. Woven cotton hammocks in bright colors are a Puerto Rican specialty, reportedly invented by the Taino Indians of the island. Look for handwoven hammocks in the weekend craft markets in Plaza de la Darsena and Paseo de la Princesa and in shops in Old San Juan.
Mundillo lace. Brought to Puerto Rico from Spain, mundillo (bobbin lace) is made by twisting and weaving thread-wrapped bobbins through intricate patterns of pins. Find mundillo-embellished linens, pillows, handkerchiefs, collars, and baby clothes in Moca, Puerto Rico's mundillo capital, the Folk Arts Center at the Dominican Convent in Old San Juan, or in the western towns of Aguadilla, Aguada, and Isabela.
Totem poles. The Tlingit of Alaska, and Haida and Tsimshian of western Canada carve totem poles from cedar, but travelers may opt for miniature wood or black slate carvings at shops throughout the Northwest U.S. and Canada, including Ye Olde Curiosity Shop in Seattle (tel. +1 206 682 5844), and in Native American craft stands throughout the region. Avoid mass-produced and imported totem poles by asking for the artist name or Native community, and expect to pay over $100 for quality authentic carvings. Navajo sand painting. Traditional Navajo sand paintings are used by medicine men during healing rituals, then destroyed. Visitors can buy permanent sand paintings made by trickling crushed stone and minerals onto epoxy-covered boards. Artists create sand paintings in traditional patterns depicting Navajo deities, rainbows, feathers, and animals. Buy them at trading posts throughout the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah; or at Penfield Gallery in Albuquerque (tel. +1 505 242 9696).
Hopi Kachina carving. Carved from soft cottonwood root and decorated with intricate painting, leather, shell, turquoise, fur, and feather art, Kachina carvings are wooden replicas of Hopi spirits. Look for these exquisitely dressed and decorated figurines in galleries on the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona, and at the Hopi Arts and Crafts Guild in Second Mesa (tel. +1 928 734 2463).
Navajo rugs. A few Navajo weavers still wash, shear, card, dye, and spin churro wool to create blankets and rugs known for their tight weave and uniform design. The zig-zags, stripes, arrows, and other geometric designs on rugs symbolize forces of nature. Authentic handwoven rugs feel smooth and heavy, lie flat without puckering, and are expensive. Prices can range from as low as $100 to over $100,000. They are available in galleries throughout the Navajo Nation, in Penfield Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico (tel. +1 505 242 9696), and at the Navajo Arts and Crafts Enterprise in Window Rock, Arizona (tel. 866 871 4095). Amish quilts. Known for their graphic designs, solid colors, and intricate hand-stitching (6-10 stitches per inch), Amish quilts illustrate artists' extraordinary craftsmanship. Buy traditional Amish patterned quilts, including "center diamond" and "sunshine & shady," directly from Amish quilters across the U.S., including Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and Holmes County, Ohio. Imported and mass-produced fakes are widespread, so avoid auctions and signed quilts (most Amish quilters do not initial their quilts), and expect to high prices, anywhere between $1,500 and $10,000, for the real thing.
Amish rockers. Although most furniture sold by Amish woodworkers is not historically Amish, traditional Amish rocking chairs have been made for about 150 years. Look for angel-wing-crested, plank-bottomed rocking chairs, with freehand or stenciled decorations on the crest. Buy traditional rockers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, from L.B. Ebersol and Sons, Inc. (Chair Manufacturing, 146 Butter Road, Leola; tel. +1 717 656 9230).
Kavli diaper baskets. Often mistaken for Nantucket lighthouse baskets, kavlis are used as diaper baskets by the Amish, and as purses by unsuspecting customers. Kavlis are sturdy oval baskets made from willow and ornamented with woven handles and stripes of dyed willow. Buy them directly from kavli-makers throughout the U.S., like Daniel Lapp of Ronks, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (ask local Amish merchants to find Lapp's baskets).
Shaker oval boxes. Made from pine, maple, and assorted fruitwoods, Shaker oval boxes are a hallmark of simple, elegant Shaker design. A steam-water-soak makes the wood flexible, and wood or copper tacks (no nails, no glue) hold the boxes together. Originally used as pantry boxes to hold staples like flour and sugar, Shaker boxes can hold anything from sewing supplies to tools today. Buy authentic Shaker oval boxes from the Shaker Store at the only existing Shaker community, Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village (Route 26, New Gloucester, Maine; tel. +1 207 926 4597).
Poplarware. Shaker artisans weave paper-thin strips of poplar into flat sheets, which are reinforced with paper, dried, and ironed, before being fashioned into boxes. Shaker poplarware boxes are built onto wooden frames and decorated with an assortment of ribbons, sweetgrass, or satin. Buy authentic Shaker poplarware boxes from Canterbury Shaker Village Museum Store (tel. +1 603 783 9511). Limited edition, hand-printed books. Illustrated letterpress editions of classics from Arion Press in the Presidio. Buy directly from press at 1802 Hays Street in San Francisco. Tours of production facilities.
Cable car bells. Replicas of signal bells used on San Francisco's cable cars. Purchase at city's Cable Car Museum (1201 Mason Street).
Heath Ceramics. Handcrafted tableware made in Sausalito factory since 1948; for sale at factory store or at Heath retailers in San Francisco. Factory tours. Handcrafted Guitars. Built by expert luthiers, custom-designed acoustic or electric guitars are sold throughout the Los Angeles area. Musicians like Peter Frampton, Bonnie Raitt, Steve Miller, and more have bought electrics from craftsman Bill Asher's Asher Guitars & Lap Steels (tel. +1 877 466 9524). Buy a uniquely authentic acoustic or glossy arch top from Tad Brown's Brown Guitars (tel. +1 949 463 2270).
Surfboards. Hand-shaped by Los Angeles surf aficionados like Jeffrey Jay Smith, owner of Midget Smith Surfboards (tel. +1 949 361 1301), these boards are one-of-a-kind and custom-created for each wave rider.
