Aboriginal art. Balgo Hills, one of the most important Aboriginal art centers in Australia, is home to artists who have created the most distinctive regional styles in Aboriginal art. The paintings and glass art of this area are renowned for their brilliant colors and strong designs, including complex dotted images.
Didgeridoos. These traditional Aboriginal wind instruments make memorable keepsakes. Authentic carved, painted, and etched wooden didgeridoos and other craft items are available at Gavala Aboriginal Art Centre, which is owned and operated by Aborigines.
China Carpets. Khotan, a city in the northwest of China, is famed for its carpets, silk, and white jade. Visit the town's carpet factory to watch workers while they weave the carpets. Bargain prices are available at the factory, as well as in the shop in town.
Porcelain. Jingdezhen has a long history in ceramics, producing pieces since the Eastern Han dynasty. The city is still the country's leading manufacturer of ceramics, with a majority of its population connected to the industry. Porcelain is sold everywhere in the city. At the Ancient Pottery Factory, you can watch craftsmen demonstrate traditional molding and baking techniques, popular during the Qing and Ming dynasties.
Jade Carvings. The South Jade Carving Factory (tel. +86 [0] 20 8138 8040) in Guangzhou offers a wide variety of jade and jadeite products at reasonable prices. On the second floor, visitors can watch jade being carved. Made-to-order. Beijing tailors can fashion bespoke suits, shirts, jackets, and dresses in as little as three or four days. Fourth floor of the Yaxiu mall.
Pearls. The Hongqiao market in Beijing has several floors of freshwater, seawater, cultured, black, pink, and ivory pearls.
Hong Kong Chops. Vendors along Chop Alley in Hong Kong (Man Wa Lane, just off of Bonham Strand near Queen's Road) will translate names into Chinese and engrave the characters onto stone seals known as chops, which have been traditionally used with red ink to sign documents. Pickup is usually next day, unless you arrive early.
Chinese medicine. The Central and Western district of Hong Kong Island has numerous shops selling remedies and tonics (Good Spring Herbal Pharmacy on Stanley Street is an especially picturesque one). Some Bonham Strand area shops will also have an herbalist on hand to take your pulse and hand out a prescription. For a more accessible experience, go to Chinese Urban Healing Tea, a homegrown chain that sells prepackaged tea formulas and has a resident Chinese medicine doctor at its Central branch (Shop W7, Central MTR Station—inside, near Exit A to Worldwide House; tel: +1 852 2840 0518).
Tea. Many Hong Kong shops still sell tea in bulk, dispensed from magnificent tins stored in warehouse-like storefronts. A number are clustered around Queen's Road near Hollywood and Bonham Strand, but some charming ones are also found on the Kowloon side. At the family-run Jim Sing Hop Tea Company in Mongkok (Ground Floor, 35 Fife Street; tel: +1 852 2394 5284), you can watch tea being sorted and packaged in the front room.
India
Handmade cotton or silk clothing. The inexpensive Fabindia stores, located in every major Indian city, sell primarily men's and women's clothing and other textile products made in villages throughout India. Men's cotton pajamas and women's saris of every quality, from soft cottons resembling Provençal designs to silk saris woven with gold thread, can be purchased in any local shop.
Cotton scarves. Famous as a natural tiger habitat, the area of Ranthambore National Park, in the Sawai Madhopur district of the Rajasthan state, is also the site of a women's cooperative that makes scarves, hand-dyed napkins and tablecloths, and other crafts. Dastkari Kendra, a local NGO, opened Dastkari Kendra-DASTKAR's Craft Community Centre just outside the park to protect villagers displaced by the park and preserve their craft traditions. Semiprecious stones. Amethyst or tourmaline necklaces can be purchased in India for under $100. A variety of places sell the necklaces, from the gift shop of the luxury resort Oberoi Vanyavilas in Ranthambhore to the Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan.
Handmade leather slippers. Unisex slippers range in style from plain leather to colorful designs bedecked in jewels. Slipper shops can be found everywhere, in marketplaces and stores throughout the country.
Japan
Handmade paper. Visit stationery and specialty stores across Japan for washi, or handmade, wood-pulp paper. Master craftsmen still use a lengthy process of washing, bleaching, cooking, pressing, and dyeing plant fibers to create unusually durable and beautiful papers. Choose from shoji screen, lantern, calligraphy, and printing papers. Visit Tokushima Prefecture for soft Awa paper, Gifu Prefecture for translucent Mino paper, and Shimane Prefecture for decorative Inshu paper.
Ceramics and Pottery. Japan offers dozens of varieties, from Kyushu's renowned porcelain and stoneware, to Mashiko's folk pottery. Visit the Shiga Prefecture for Shigaraki, a simple-style pottery marked by organic blotches and drips of glaze. Buy it in the Shiga Prefecture or visit the Traditional Crafts Center Shigaraki (tel. +81 [0]748 82 2345).
Lacquerware. The art of urushi, or lacquer, has been practiced in the Kiso Valley area of Japan for hundreds of years. Traditional Japanese lacquer comes from the sap of trees and gives objects a shiny decorative and protective coating. Visit shops in Kiso and around Japan for lacquerware bento boxes, bowls, trays, and other decorative items.
Bronze singing bowls. Made from an alloy of several different metals, these vessels produce a ringing sound when their rims are rubbed with a wooden pestle. That harmonic sound is said to soothe the body and encourage meditation. Buy bronze singing bowls in craft outlets in Lazimpat, Thamel, and Patan.
Thangka paintings. These extremely detailed Tibetan ritual paintings depict deities in their other-worldly environs. Pass up the earth-toned, tourist-marketed works for bright, vivid traditional paintings. Look for them in craft markets in the Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Lazimpat, Thamel, and Patan.
Handmade paper notebooks. Nepalese artists make lokta, or traditional, handmade paper, from the bark of the Daphne shrub. After being boiled, beaten, and sun-dried, the wood pulp is transformed into strong, textured paper used for notebooks, lampshades, greeting cards, and other decorative items. The best places to find these crafts are in Lazimpat, the Thamel tourist area, and the Patan tourist area.
New Zealand
Maori handicrafts, including pounamu (greenstone), kete, and carvings. Pounamu is a variety of jade found in the rivers of New Zealand. The Maori carve the stone into hei-tiki, rounded pendants worn around the neck for spiritual power. The Maori make kete, woven baskets, from New Zealand flax. These beautifully crafted bags are used to carry food, shopping items, and trinkets. Search for a variety of intricate Maori carvings, including wooden weapons, utensils, and canoes, and bone and stone ornaments. Anything that has the Toi Iho mark is an authentic Maori product.
Wool clothing.The merino sheep of the South Island are renowned for their fine, thick wool, which makes up one of New Zealand's major exports. Head to Nelson, in northern New Zealand, for an excellent selection of handicrafts, including handmade woolen sweaters. In Auckland, look for sheepskin slippers and rugs, and handmade woolen sweaters, hats, and shawls in Breen's Sheepskins (6 Customs St. West), Woollywool Sheepskins Downtown (Downtown Airline Terminal), and Bast (in the Queen's Arcade, near Customs St.).
Pacific Islands
Kava Bowls (American Samoa). Kava bowls are round wooden bowls lined with several short legs that come in various sizes. Kava is mixed with water in the bowl and is drunk using coconut shells at social occasions.
Malaita Jewelry (Malaita). Malaita shell jewelry is made from discs of shell threaded together into necklaces, bracelets, and the ceremonial bride-price piece known as "Tafuliae." Shell money was and still is a form of currency in high demand. Also look for traditional shell jewelry, like headbands, earrings, pendants, breastplates, and armbands.
Rito Hats (Cook Islands). These white flat-rimmed hats are woven from young palm shoots, or Pandanus leaves, and are worn by women in the community for special occasions like baptisms and weddings. The hats are usually adorned with mother-of-pearl shells. Some can sell for hundreds of New Zealand dollars, but there are much cheaper hats available. Pandanus plants are also used for weaving mats, baskets, fans, and many other useful items.
Siapo (Samoa). This delicate cloth comes from the bark of the mulberry tree. The bark is beaten into a pulp and rolled by hand to form paper. It is then covered with patterns, whether freehand or traced, using various dyes. Modern patterns include plants, animals, and shells, but each region has its own specific patterns. The cloth is given as a valued gift at weddings and funerals.
Storyboards (Palau). These long wooden panels were originally carved or painted on the rafters and beams inside of a bai (meeting house.) The carvings are used to tell stories of Palauan culture, whether it's a historical event or an account of daily life.
Tivaevae (Cook Islands). Tivaevae, whose name means "to stitch or sew," are colorful patchwork quilts that are hung in the hallways where a ceremony such as a birthday, wedding, or even a funeral is taking place. These quilts, which are unique to the Cook Islands, take months to make. Once a year, usually at the end of November, many women's groups exhibit their tivaivais and related textile works for sale.
Woodcarvings (all Pacific Islands). Woodcarvings are prominent in Cook Island town boutiques and markets. Look for two local carvings: Tangaroa, the phallic statue of a prominent male god, and slit drums known as pate. Solomon Islands woodcrafts generally range from small domestic items such as combs, bowls, and a variety of carved figures and heads. The most distinctive item is the nguzunguzu, anthropomorphic figureheads attached to the bows of war canoes. The best place to buy woodcarvings is not in flea markets or festivals, but near women societies where women get together on the side of the road to sell their goods, or in the homes of some of the artists.
Carved wooden bowls. The best ones, from the remote Trobriand Islands in Milne Bay Province, are carved from solid ebony, although this is scarce these days and often kwila, or rosewood, is used instead. The lips of these bowls are usually carved in patterns of fish or birds. Visit PNG Arts (tel. +675 25 3976) in Port Moresby for bowls and other handicrafts.
Skull racks, shields. The Sepik River region is famous for its art, including carved and decorated masks, skull racks, shields, storyboards, and ornamental bowls. These items are best bought from their makers in the relevant villages, although many handicrafts are available from large art stores in Port Moresby, such as PNG Arts (tel. +675 25 3976). Last Frontier Arts features handicrafts by east Sepik artists, including masks, woven goods, bowls, figurines, and jewelry, all of which are available over the Internet.
Thailand
Hill-tribe handicrafts. For all hill-tribe handicrafts, the best place to shop is the Night Bazaar in the northern city of Chiang Mai. Here you are sure to encounter hill-tribe women with armloads of goods. The Karen tribe creates beautiful handwoven textiles that are sometimes embroidered. Mien handicrafts include embroidered clothing, bags, and pillows.
Silk. Visit the town of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Khorat, in northeastern Thailand, as well as the weaving village of Pak Thong Chai, for authentic handmade Thai silk.
Saa paper. This type of paper is made from the bark of the mulberry tree, and is extremely versatile. It can be made into lanterns, journals, albums, umbrellas, lamps, and artificial flowers. The local saa paper industry is located in Ban Nam Thong.
Taiwan
Jade jewelry. Hualien's pink and black rose and seven-color jade stones are found naturally along the county's riverbanks. Local artisans cut and polish the stones as well as craft elegant vases. Browse the selection of rose and jade stones, as well as thousands of other indigenous handicrafts, at 50-year-old Taiwan Handicraft Promotion Center (1 Xuzhou [Syujhou] Rd., +02 2393 3655), a non-profit organization stocked with authentic Taiwanese trinkets near Taipei Railway Station in Taipei City.
Woodcarvings. Visit Sanyi, a small, forested town known almost exclusively for its woodcarving industry ever since a local began crafting ornamental art from camphor wood in 1918. Stroll Sanyi's main thoroughfare, Shueimei Street, lined with some 200 fine-art shops selling wood sculptures, ranging from miniature duck and bird statues to intricate Buddhist icons. Nearby, observe esteemed Taiwanese sculptors crafting masterpieces at Guangsheng Village.
Silk. Lacquered silk, known in Taiwan as mud silk, employs a natural Han Chinese method dating back to the Ming dynasty. For pretty silk scarves and delicate garments, scour Taipei's night street markets, such as Raohe Street Night Market near the old Songshan Cihyou Temple, or wander along Fu-Shing Road in Taichung. Taiwanese designer Sophie Hong's lavish, exclusive silk designs can be seen at her Taipei studio (4, Lane 228, Hsin Yi Road, +886 2 23 51 64 69).
Pottery. Popular tea sets are hand-painted with tiny snow-white tung tree blossoms, which blanket the hills of Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Miaoli counties. Porcelain makers in Peitou and Yingko are known for reasonable prices and oftentimes offer factory tours.
Weavings. Traditionally, the women of Taiwan's indigenous Atayal and Truku tribes excelled at weaving hemp cloth, in large part because they would only receive facial tattoos signifying their eligibility for marriage once they could produce high-quality clothing with complex patterns. Bamboo weaving is renowned in Chu Shan and Kuan Miao; likewise, look for aboriginal dyed weaves in Chang Hua County.
Leather. Taiwan's Tsou tribe once crafted caps and vests from leather; these days, indigenous leather artisans apply traditional themes to cell phone covers, business card holders, wallets, purses, and more. Leather goods featuring traditional tribal motifs can be found at Kending's Native Trading Post (21 Kending Rd.).
Vietnam
Ethnic minority products. These include bamboo bowls, lacquerware, water puppets, fabrics, and silver jewelry. Beautiful embroidered pictures and table linens, basketware, and hemp purses are made by the Dao, Hmong, and Black Thai, who live mainly in northwestern Vietnam. Many items can be found in galleries and shops in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and in local villages.
Bat Trang village ceramics.Bat Trang is one of several ceramic villages found on the outskirts of Hanoi, about an hour's car ride from the city center. Visitors may wander through the streets and studios of the village, where craftsmen make and sell their ceramics.
Buddha statues, lacquerware, bronze reproductions, traditional arts and crafts. These items may be purchased at KAF Traditional Sculptures and Art Accessories Co. (30 Nguyen Truong To Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi).
Ao dai, the traditional dress for Vietnamese women. This is a beautiful mid-calf-length tunic top with long sleeves and a mandarin collar. Khai Silk shop (107 Ðong Khoi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City; 96 Pho Hang Gai Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi) is one of the finest shops for traditional ao dai and other western-style clothing, such as jackets and blouses. There are also tailors and silk shops in nearly every town and city in Vietnam.
Vietnamese art. The many fine galleries in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City include the Apricot Gallery, which displays contemporary and traditional Vietnamese art, and Salon Natasha (30 Hang Bong Street, Hanoi; tel. +84 [0]4 826 1387), an alternative art space that combines exhibition areas and an artist's studio.
Intricate embroidered artwork. XQ Silk is produced at the Dalat History Village, where tourists can watch the craftswomen at work. Silk products are available for purchase at XQ Silk locations in Ho Chi Minh City, NhaTrang, Hanoi, Hue, and DaNang.
