Being an outdoorsy and active kind of person, I have always loved to explore new places and soak in the local culture. I remember trekking up Maxwell Hill in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia when I was just three years old with my mother (or rather it was my mother who told me I was three years old then) who was leading a group of girl guides for an outing. So I figured the adventure bug in me had been fostered from a very young age.
On my travels, apart from the usual sightseeing agenda and trying out the local cuisine and talking to the locals, where through their daily life stories and experiences tell you more about the real socio-economic status of a country; I also love to look out for selective items to buy and for keepsake. Now, I am not big on fashion or accessories so clothes are not an item I usually shop for although I do give in when I find something I really fancy. However, I just love handwoven or handmade textile or fabric of any kind, so rugs, carpets, shawls, cushion covers, table runners and practical items made from fabric are normally what I would look out for.
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| Handwoven Chin Table Runner/Shawl |
During my recent trip to Burma, I came across delightful items made from textile that is handwoven by the different local tribes. Yes, the designs are definitely appealing, but the main reason I buy them is because these handicrafts represent to me a dying artform and craft. As a country becomes more developed, and rural-urban migration becomes more pronounced too; a lot of home or village sprung industries start to lose their young adults to cities where they gain employment at a higher wage, and thus there are fewer and fewer people amongst the younger generation to carry on the legacy of weaving or other craftsmanship. I am not against any country's pursuit for development but I just feel that somehow manufactured goods by machines and equipment just cannot match the beauty of an item produced painstakingly by hand and most of all the dignity, pride and artistic skill of an excellent artist or craftsman. These items are not as cheap as you might think, but I'd just like to think that I am supporting the locals so they can continue with their trade.
I am also passionate about rugs and carpets, and especially those from Central Asia but that would deserve another blog post by itself, so stay tuned!
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Note the fine detailing on these lacquer wares
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Another thing that I would consider a good buy will be lacquer wares from Burma. Although Vietnam also produces lacquer ware, there is a distinct difference in the design between Vietnamese and Burmese lacquer. While Vietnamese lacquer ware has a very modern look and feel about it, where bold and solid mono-tone colors are primarily used; Burmese lacquer ware is differentiated by its hand-drawn design and motives and are more traditional looking. Burmese lacquer ware are usually red-based with `black' color motives or black based with `gold' color designs. Generally the finer the design or the drawings, the older the lacquer ware is. Just be aware that there are also new lacquer ware which are made to look aged by imitating the fine designs of olden days lacquer wares. But I think these are good buys too because for a lacquer container which is more than 100 years old, do expect to pay more than a couple of hundreds (USD) for it. The way to tell that a lacquer container is old is due to the fact that it is not used anymore in modern days and thus they are not produced anymore, for example lacquer tiffin food containers are not common these days so generally the ones that you find in bazaars and markets may be at least 30 years old.
I have always been fascinated by chimes and bells and melodious tones from traditional musical instruments. On one of my trips to Bali, I stumbled upon an old Gamelan metallophone in an antique shop in Ubud. A metallophone is a musical instrument consisting of tuned metal bars which are struck to make sound with a mallet. Metallophones have been used in music for thousands of years. A Gamelan is a traditional musical ensemble of various instruments and is typically found in the Malay archipelago. I just fell in love with the melodious tune when you hit the brass metal bars with the bamboo mallet. It is just heavenly to my ears. The other pet peeve of mine when I visit temples is to stand quietly in a corner and hear the chimes mounted on the stupas and shrines ringing when blown in the wind. So it is no wonder that I also like to collect bells and chimes, but only if they sound very good and they usually do if the brass or metal that it is made of is thick and not thin, this gives the instrument a deep resonating sound. And these usually are old pieces as well.
I also collect woven baskets, and especially Iban rattan baskets from Sarawak and Kalimantan. These baskets are becoming rare too as there are very few people from the younger generation who are still willing to learn to weave them. Then there are the more functional and modern baskets which I buy from the Philippines for beach and shopping use. These also come in handy as an accessory item and stylish too as you differentiate yourself from the hoards of bags that people carry.
I have also discovered that paintings are a good buy too especially in countries which have just started to open up. It was a few years ago that Vietnam paintings were going for a song, but in recent years some better artists have seen the prices of their work soar. Due to budget constraint, I don't go for renown artists, but good pieces that appeal and also themes that are not too traditional; however traditional pieces with a modern twist are good contemporary art that would fit into a modern home.
To give you an idea of items that I collect on my travels, you can access my link here
https://picasaweb.google.com/101909272669803286800/MyTroveOfCollectibles?authkey=Gv1sRgCOWLltnjiq23SQ
If you are interested to know where you can purchase these items, drop me a note. I also do sourcing for friends who do trading.
