unique hard to find gifts

unique hard to find gifts

In our lives, gift-giving is a seemingly simple yet rather complex matter. Whenever we want to choose a gift for our relatives and friends, we often find ourselves in a dilemma. Why is that? The reason lies in the fact that each person is a unique individual, and their likes, perceptions, and concepts are as diverse as the pieces of a colorful jigsaw puzzle, making it a challenge full of uncertainties to find a gift that precisely suits the other person's taste.


However, in this seemingly unruly field of gift-giving, there actually hides an interesting gift-giving formula that might guide us and help us avoid detours in the process of choosing gifts. This formula is: "Something beyond the recipient's cognition (not easily encountered in daily life) + Exquisite appearance (both the packaging and the gift itself) + Difficult to obtain (not within the recipient's usual living circle and takes a long time to make) + Non-industrial product (not made on an assembly line, preferably handmade) = A good gift." Now, let's analyze this formula in depth and explore the mysteries within.

I. Gifts Beyond Cognition: Opening the Door to Novelty


"Something beyond the recipient's cognition" means things that are outside the scope of the other person's daily cognition. Imagine living in a familiar environment day after day, getting used to everything around you. Suddenly, receiving a gift that you've never seen or heard of before would be quite a surprise, wouldn't it? For example, for a friend who is passionate about fashion trends, common brand clothing and accessories in the market may have already filled his wardrobe and jewelry box. At this time, if you can give him a handmade custom accessory from a niche designer, its unique design concept and craftsmanship might make his eyes light up. This accessory might be made of rare materials or incorporate distinctive cultural elements, all of which are hard to come by in his usual shopping experiences. It's like a key, opening a door to a novel fashion world for him and arousing his deep curiosity and desire to explore the unknown.


Another example is for a food lover. Besides the common local specialties and restaurant signature dishes, you can consider giving him a traditional food ingredient gift box from a foreign country. This gift box might contain some spices, sauces, or specialty ingredients that are rarely seen in the domestic market. When he opens the box and faces these unfamiliar yet alluring ingredients, countless ideas about how to use them to cook unique dishes will come to his mind. This gift not only brings new experiences to his taste buds but also broadens his cognitive boundaries in the world of food.

II. Exquisite Appearance: The External Charm of Gifts


The appearance of a gift is like its first business card, which can attract the other person's attention instantly and leave a deep impression. Exquisite packaging is like dressing the gift in a gorgeous coat, showing the giver's thoughtfulness and sincerity. You can carefully select packaging materials and decorative elements according to the nature of the gift and the recipient's preferences. For instance, for a female friend, you can choose a pink gift box with lace trims, bows, and other decorations, paired with soft-colored wrapping paper to create a romantic and warm atmosphere. For a male friend, a simple and elegant black or dark blue gift box with a metal ribbon can show a sense of stability and taste.


Of course, the exquisiteness of the gift itself is even more crucial. Take a handmade ceramic vase as an example. Its shape should be beautiful and smooth, with simple and rhythmic lines. The surface of the vase should be smooth and delicate, with an even and layered glaze color. It may present the beauty of plain colors in an elegant way, or it may have colorful patterns as decorations. These patterns might be landscapes, flowers, birds, and figures meticulously painted by artisans, each stroke vivid and lifelike, as if one could feel the vitality and energy of nature. They might also be abstract patterns with a modern artistic sense, showing unique artistic charm through the collision of colors and the combination of shapes. No matter what style it is, this vase can become an enjoyable work of art. Even without flowers in it, placed in any corner of the home, it can add a touch of elegance and beauty to the space.

III. Difficult to Obtain: The Scarce Charm of Gifts


The element of "difficult to obtain" adds a mysterious and precious quality to the gift. It doesn't mean pursuing those expensive and unattainable luxury items, but rather referring to things that are not easily accessible within the recipient's daily living circle. For example, you can bring back a characteristic wood carving ornament made by local craftsmen from a distant ancient town. This ornament might be carved from the unique wood of the local area, and its shape and carving style all contain the profound historical and cultural heritage of the ancient town. Due to the remote location and inconvenient transportation of the ancient town, this kind of wood carving ornament is rarely seen in other places, thus highlighting its scarcity. When you give it to a friend, the friend will not only be attracted by its unique artistic charm but also cherish it more because of its rarity, as if holding a precious friendship from afar in his hands.


In addition, some gifts that take a long time to make also meet the characteristics of "difficult to obtain." For example, a hand-embroidered painting might take an embroiderer months or even years to complete with great care and attention to detail. During this long process, every stitch embodies the embroiderer's painstaking efforts and concentration, and every color of the silk thread is carefully selected and matched. The final work, whether it's a delicate and lifelike portrait or vivid flowers, birds, insects, and fish, seems to have a life of its own, exuding a unique charm. Such a gift, with the obvious time and effort invested behind it, is precious not only for its artistic value but also for the unique emotional sustenance it carries.

IV. Non-Industrial Products: The Warmth and Soul of Handicrafts


In today's highly industrialized era, products made on assembly lines fill our lives. Although these products have certain advantages in production efficiency and price, they often lack individuality and warmth. Non-industrial products, especially handmade gifts, are like a clear stream, bringing a different kind of warmth and touch to our gift choices.


Handmade gifts are each a unique existence. They carry the emotions, creativity, and exquisite craftsmanship of the artisans, as if the artisans have endowed them with life and soul with their hands. Take a handmade knitted sweater as an example. During the knitting process, the knitter will carefully select the color and material of the yarn according to their mood and feelings towards the recipient. Every stitch and thread is filled with the knitter's affection, and the texture and feel of the sweater are incomparable to those made by machines. When the recipient wears this sweater, they can not only feel the warmth but also experience the deep friendship from the knitter.


Another example is a handmade wood carving ornament. The carver will use their imagination and creativity based on the natural texture and shape of the wood to carve it into vivid images. During the carving process, the carver needs to be fully concentrated and use various carving tools to carefully carve out every detail. This process is full of uncertainties and challenges, but it is precisely these uncertainties that make each wood carving ornament a unique work of art. It may have some minor flaws, but these flaws instead add to its authenticity and uniqueness, making people cherish it more for its hard-won nature.

V. Intangible Cultural Heritage Artworks: An Excellent Choice for Gifts


Among various types of gifts, intangible cultural heritage artworks are undoubtedly the ones that can best interpret the above gift-giving formula. Intangible cultural heritage, or ICH, is a treasure of human civilization, carrying rich historical and cultural connotations and exquisite traditional craftsmanship. These ICH artworks not only have unique artistic value but also contain profound cultural heritage, making them an excellent choice for gifts.


  1. Characteristics of Intangible Cultural Heritage Artworks
    • Difficult to Make: Many ICH artworks have extremely complex production processes that require a long time of learning and practice to master. For example, the production of cloisonné enamel involves multiple processes such as design, making the base, wire inlay, enamel filling, enamel firing, polishing, and gilding. Each process requires the artisans to have superb skills and rich experience. Any mistake in any link may lead to the failure of the entire work. This difficult production process makes the output of ICH artworks relatively low, and each piece becomes particularly precious.
    • Time-Consuming Handicraft: Most ICH artworks are handmade, which means they require a lot of time and effort. Take Suzhou embroidery as an example. A beautiful Suzhou embroidery work may take an embroiderer months or even years to complete. During this process, the embroiderer needs to carefully select silk threads according to the requirements of the pattern and use various embroidery stitches to embroider delicate patterns and rich color layers stitch by stitch. This long-term investment not only reflects the patience and perseverance of the artisans but also endows the work with deep emotional value.
    • Scarce Quantity: Due to the difficulty in making and the long time-consuming process, the quantity of ICH artworks is often very limited. Some ICH skills are even facing the risk of being lost because fewer and fewer young people are willing to learn and inherit these skills. This makes the existing ICH artworks even scarcer and gives them higher collection value and cultural value.
    • Rich Background Stories and Deep Connotations: Each ICH artwork has a profound historical origin and cultural background. They are unique cultural symbols formed in the long historical development process of a certain ethnic group or region, carrying various aspects of information such as the local people's way of life, aesthetic concepts, and religious beliefs. For example, Thangka art in Tibetan culture is a unique painting form in Tibetan culture, usually with religious themes, depicting images of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Dharma protectors, etc. The drawing of Thangka has strict norms and rituals, and the pigments mostly use natural mineral pigments and precious metals such as gold and silver, having extremely high artistic value and religious value. Behind each Thangka lies rich religious stories and cultural implications, vividly reflecting the spiritual world of the Tibetan people.
  2. Types and Introductions of Intangible Cultural Heritage Artworks
    • Ceramics
      • Handmade Ceramic Tea Sets and Drinking Vessels: China is the hometown of ceramics, and the ceramic-making skills have a long history. Handmade ceramic tea sets and drinking vessels not only have practical functions but are also exquisite works of art. The production process includes multiple steps such as selecting clay, making clay, throwing, trimming, glazing, and firing. Artisans adjust the clay suitable for making tea sets according to different soil qualities and formulas, and then shape the clay into the form of tea sets through a potter's wheel or hand throwing. Trimming is to finely adjust the body to make its surface smooth and flat. Glazing is a crucial step, and different glazes will bring different textures and color effects to the tea sets. For example, Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain tea sets are famous worldwide for their fresh and elegant blue and white patterns and delicate white porcelain texture. The blue and white patterns are usually painted by hand. Artisans use specially prepared blue and white materials to draw various patterns such as flowers, birds, landscapes, and figures on the body, and then apply a transparent glaze. After high-temperature firing, the blue and white patterns show a blue tone, complementing the white porcelain body beautifully, giving people a sense of ancient elegance and beauty. Such tea sets, whether used by oneself or given to tea lovers, can make the process of tea tasting more pleasant and full of charm.
      • Wood-Fired Handmade Owner's Cup: Wood firing is an ancient ceramic firing method that uses wood as fuel. During the firing process, the ashes produced by the burning of wood will naturally fall on the body, forming a unique ash glaze effect. Each wood-fired owner's cup is unique because the distribution of ashes and the changes in the atmosphere during the firing process are uncontrollable factors. The texture of the wood-fired owner's cup is rough and natural, and there may be some fire marks, kiln sweat, and other traces on the surface, which are the charms of wood firing. It is not only a cup for drinking tea but also an art piece carrying the beauty of nature and the ingenuity of artisans. When you use such a cup to taste tea, it seems that you can feel the breath of nature and the warmth of the artisans, making tea tasting a unique artistic enjoyment.
    • Paintings
      • Hand-Painted Thangka Ceramic Cup: Thangka is a treasure in Tibetan culture. Combining Thangka art with ceramic craftsmanship gives birth to the hand-painted Thangka ceramic cup. To make this kind of cup, first, a high-quality ceramic cup is selected as the carrier, and then painters use mineral pigments to draw Thangka patterns on the cup body. The painters need to have a profound foundation in Thangka painting and be able to accurately depict various images and details in Thangka. After the drawing is completed, it is fired at a low temperature to make the pigments firmly adhere to the cup body. Such a ceramic cup not only has practical value but also allows people to appreciate the charm of Thangka art in daily life and feel the profoundness of Tibetan culture. Every time you pick up this cup, it seems to start a wonderful dialogue with Tibetan culture, enabling people to appreciate the charm of art and the depth of culture while savoring the fragrance of tea.
      • Hand-Painted Thangka Pendant: The hand-painted Thangka pendant is a form of miniaturizing and portabilizing Thangka art. It usually uses high-quality fabrics or leather as the base material, and painters carefully draw Thangka patterns on it, and then match it with a metal frame or lanyard to make a pendant. This pendant can be worn on the body as a unique decoration and also has certain religious and cultural meanings. The wearer can feel the sacredness and beauty of Thangka art at any time and regard it as a spiritual sustenance. Whether given to oneself or to relatives and friends, the hand-painted Thangka pendant is a gift full of blessings and beautiful meanings.
    • Others
      • Paper-Cutting Art: Paper-cutting is one of the traditional folk art forms in China. It uses scissors or a knife as tools to cut out various exquisite patterns on paper. The themes of paper-cutting are extensive, including flowers and birds, animals, figures, auspicious patterns, etc. Paper-cutting artists rely on their skillful hands and rich imagination to turn ordinary paper into vivid artworks. Paper-cutting works can not only be used as decorations posted on windows and walls to add a festive atmosphere during festivals but also can be made into bookmarks, greeting cards, and other gifts. For example, during the Spring Festival, people will paste paper-cut window decorations with auspicious meanings. These window decorations, with their bright colors and vivid patterns, add a strong flavor of the New Year to the festival. And giving a beautiful paper-cut bookmark to a friend who loves reading is not only practical but also allows the friend to appreciate the charm of paper-cutting art in the spare time of reading.
      • Wood Carving Crafts: Wood carving is an art form of carving with wood as the raw material and has a long history and rich genres around the world. In China, there are famous wood carving genres such as Dongyang wood carving, Yueqing boxwood carving, and Chaozhou wood carving. Wood carving artists create various exquisite wood carving works according to the texture, grain, and shape of the wood, using various carving techniques such as round carving, relief carving, and openwork carving. These works can be figure statues, animal ornaments, furniture decorations, etc. Wood carving crafts not only have ornamental value but also reflect the wood carving artists' deep understanding and superb skills of wood. For example, a brush pot of Dongyang wood carving may have a carved pattern of a landscape painting on it, with rolling mountains, lush trees, and gurgling streams, as if condensing the beauty of nature into this small brush pot. Giving such a wood carving craft to a friend who likes the four treasures of the study is both practical and can show taste, and at the same time, let the friend feel the charm of traditional culture.

VI. The Value of Intangible Cultural Heritage Artworks and the Significance of Gift-Giving


  1. Value of Intangible Cultural Heritage Artworks
    • Cultural Value: Intangible cultural heritage artworks are an important carrier of ethnic culture, recording the history, traditions, beliefs, and way of life of a nation. By appreciating and collecting intangible cultural heritage artworks, we can gain an in-depth understanding of the cultural connotations of different ethnic groups and promote the exchange and inheritance of cultures. For example, the Miao silver jewelry craftsmanship, with its exquisite patterns and unique shapes, not only shows the aesthetic concepts of the Miao people but also contains information such as the historical stories, religious beliefs, and ethnic migrations of the Miao people. These silver jewelry, as a symbol of Miao culture, have been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years and are living fossils of Miao culture. Each intangible cultural heritage artwork is like a vivid history book, telling us stories of the past, allowing us to touch the pulse of history and feel the inheritance and continuation of culture.
    • Artistic Value: Intangible cultural heritage artworks have high artistic attainments, reflecting human creativity and aesthetic pursuit. Whether it is exquisite ceramics, delicate embroidery, vivid paper-cutting, or superb wood carving, they all show unique artistic styles and expression techniques. The elements such as the shape, color, and lines of these artworks have been carefully designed and carved by artists, having strong artistic appeal. They can not only meet people's aesthetic needs but also provide rich inspiration and reference for artistic creation. Intangible cultural heritage artworks are the shining pearls in the treasure house of human art, crossing time and space with their unique artistic charm and touching the hearts of every appreciator.
    • Collection Value: Due to the scarcity and cultural and artistic value of intangible cultural heritage artworks, they have certain collection value. With the passage of time, some excellent intangible cultural heritage artworks may become more precious due to the loss of skills and the shortage of raw materials. For collectors, collecting intangible cultural heritage artworks is not only an investment but also the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage. Through collection, these precious artworks can be preserved and passed on, allowing more people to have the opportunity to appreciate their charm and feel the breadth and depth of traditional culture.
  2. Significance of Gift-Giving
    • Expressing Emotions: Gift-giving is a way to express emotions. By choosing a suitable gift, we can convey our care, love, gratitude, blessings, and other emotions to the other person. A carefully selected intangible cultural heritage artwork can make the other person feel your importance and thoughtfulness, and enhance the feelings between each other. For example, on your parents' birthday, giving them a family portrait embroidered by hand can not only decorate the home but also make your parents feel the filial piety of their children
Back to blog

Leave a comment