Decorate homes with foreign craft

After shelling out huge amounts  of money during Diwali, it is time to loosen your purse strings once again.

An array of international products are on offer at the ongoing 32nd India International Trade Fair. Foreign participants have come up with innovative items to give a luxurious and an international feel to your house. Turkey, Vietnam and Egypt  are among countries showcasing beautiful, handmade decorative pieces.

 What grabs your attention is the Turkish pavilion on ground floor of Hall No 18 - the pavilion which has only international participation. There are three stalls of Turkey at IITF glittering with colourful mosaic lamp shades, crystal items and dazzling accessories.

“These lamp shades are all handmade,” replies Hakan Karkush of Istanbul. “These are made of ceramics and the crystals on the glass are fixed in a mosaic pattern with the use of lasers. This is a typical craft of Turkey,” he says.  The colourful brass lamps are priced between Rs 1500 - 10,000.

Adding to the beauty of the stalls are brightly coloured ceramic bowls which make for ideal gifts. Jugs, vase, saucers, genie lamps and cups with intricate floral patterns in vivid colours are extraordinary.

To attract the Indian customers, the stalls have crystal items with images of Indian gods. “We are trying to be more innovative with our products. To attract Indian customers we have used the images of Indian gods on crystals item. Our common knick-knacks include crystals in the shape of elephants, dolphins and birds,” says Akash, manager of another Turkey stall.  

For those interested in keeping their house vibrant and colourful, Ghana’s stall is a must-visit. Eunice Obnobi, its owner, is participating for the second time in the fair.  She has come up with fresh and antique items which showcase the work of the tribal community in Ghana. “Keeping a focus on international buyers, there are traditional masks and wooden portraits of African women.

There are wooden zebras, elephants and drums in all shapes too,” says  Eunice. A colourful vase made out of a pumpkin, is show stealer as also is a unity bowl, which is used during meals. It is a bowl from which all the family members have to eat out of. Most of Eunice products are priced approx Rs 1500.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Kamal Anwar, a regular at IITF, has brought with him souvenirs of Egyptian pharaohs, hookahs and stools made out of camel skin. “All these items are a part of Egyptian lifestyle. We come here every year to promote our products and to do some serious business with Indian wholesalers,” says Kamal. Other items on display at Kamal’s store are metallic pyramids, Egyptian paintings and furniture with embedded sea shells.

The Vietnam stall has displayed paintings made from shells. Wooden footwear, plastic flowers , pen stands and Buddha figure are a few items for sale.