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 Teotitlan 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 in San Andrés Larráinzar produce flower-inlaid journals, silkscreened postcards, and other products using natural dyes and botanicals.