The Crafters
Many of the women we buy from have learned the craft techniques from their mothers or grandmothers. They work together to create beautiful pieces of art while maintaining family relationships. We have chosen not to form a guild of crafters working in a factory setting but rather buy from family groups who work from their home. This reduces our overhead and allows the women to care for their families and do their work at the same time.
Bishkek Region
Gulya and her mother
Gulya is mostly deaf and communicates through Russian sign language and also can read lips. In spite of some limitations, she is joyful and eager to try new things. She supports her elderly mother and is putting two young-adult daughters through school. Gulya makes the Good Shepherd figurine sets, the Holy Family figurine set, the K019 Traditional Yurt Nativity set, and the Curly Cue Lamb ornaments.
Gulya is mostly deaf and communicates through Russian sign language and also can read lips. In spite of some limitations, she is joyful and eager to try new things. She supports her elderly mother and is putting two young-adult daughters through school. Gulya makes the Good Shepherd figurine sets, the Holy Family figurine set, the K019 Traditional Yurt Nativity set, and the Curly Cue Lamb ornaments.
Kaliya
Our manager, Aigul
Ainagul
Naryn Region
Tucked away in a frigid mountain village in the eastern part of the country, a group of women have found their niche by working with felt crafts. Each woman in the group has her own unique designs and styles, and they work hard to please their customers. A foreign woman living in the same village has become a consultant and friend to the crafters, advising on colors, form, and pricing. We are pleased to offer you crafts from this guild and trust you will enjoy their intricate quality.
Karakol Region
The Founders
The Master's Handicrafts is a registered export business in the country of Kyrgyzstan dedicated to helping indigenous people groups of Central Asia develop markets for their crafts. By using fair trade principles, products are bought at wholesale prices and sold to retail distributors. Many of the crafters with whom we work have very little or no other income, and through the purchase of their goods, they are given the chance to grow economically.
We are Phil and Sharla Shaver - American citizens who are presently living in the country of Kyrgyzstan. We live in a predominantly Dungan village but are conducting business with many of the indigenous people groups in the area. Sharla is a Russian speaker while Phil is studying Dungan, a tonal language.
We are very excited to be living and working in Kyrgyzstan and to have the opportunity to showcase the beautiful crafts of the many unique people groups of Central Asia to people around the world.