Surprising Style Source: Folk art museum shops

Have you ever had the disheartening experience of coming home from an exotic trip with a bundle of carefully selected souvenirs, only to find "Made in China" stickers on the backs of half of them? (This is, of course, assuming you were not actually vacationing in China, which would be a different story.) A better way to bring home authentic globe-trotter style (without the extra-baggage fees) might be to shop the gift stores of Folk Art museums around the world. You have a little more assurance of the items' authenticity, and there's a wide range of really unique stuff—not just wooden tribal masks and Mexican blankets. Here are some of my favorites from a few of these shops; it's up to you whether you want to reveal how far you did or didn't go to bring them home.

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