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Ethnic Art

An Introduction to Cultures Throughout the World

Ceramic masks, 'Colors'

Collecting ethnic arts and crafts is fun, especially if you are in some beautiful foreign locale when you are making your purchases.

Ethnic art is simply art associated with different cultures. In Mexico, bright bold colors are the norm.

In Africa and certain Caribbean islands beautiful carved wood masks abound.

In Hawaii, art is focused on the natural beauty of the island and the creatures in the surrounding seas.

In India, you will find a lot of brass work: some Native American tribes are known for either colorful pottery or turquoise and silver jewelry.

If you shop while on vacation, you will find many that most of the local ethnic art is quite affordable - the biggest obstacle these days is getting some of the larger pieces back home.

Just be careful of spending a lot of money for things marked as silver or gold that might be neither.

My wife and I have made a habit of buying artwork or local crafts while traveling. We have colorful carved masks, intricate clay figurines, bronze sculptures and much more displayed throughout our home. These are not only beautiful in and of themselves, but they also invoke memories of where they were purchased and make interesting topics for conversation.

'Kumbakarna,' Wall Hanging

If you click on any of the links in "Art from Around the World" section to the left you will be taken to pages on a fascinating web site Novica, owned by the National Geographic Society.

The site lets you explore remote regions across the globe and introduces you to the artisans who supply arts and crafts to the site, describes their lives and teaches you the meaning behind their works.

There are more than 15,000 unique, handmade works of art available for reasonable prices.

One advantage that a site like Novica and global tourism has provided is a profound impact on the lives of artisans around the world. Many have been able to overcome the economic challenges felt in developing regions of the world and have been able to concentrate and work full time as artists.

So by collecting ethnic art you are rewarding both yourself and the artist in ways that you may not fully comprehend.