GLOBETROTTER BRINGS WORLD TO MANOTICK

Colour and texture are paramount at this year’s Third World Bazaar

Now in its 14th year in Manotick Station, the Third World Bazaar has become a rite of fall, offering colourful carpets, furniture, jewelry and home decor out of Peggy and Dick Bakker’s old barn.

But before they ended up artfully arranged, they were gathered on buying trips around the world, from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam to Nepal and Turkey, plus Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador and Peru.

“We buy directly from producers,” says Bakker, who does much of the globe-trotting so the thousands who attend the barn on autumn weekends can get the welltravelled look in their own homes with a quick jaunt to Manotick.

Watch for quirky items in vibrant colours and materials from glowing glass to hand-carved wood and painted ceramics, that will “add a little energy, punch to a room that needs a little bit of cheering up,” Bakker said.

“This year’s finds include lots of colour and texture.”

TURKISH TOWELS

Straight from Istanbul, these quick-drying towels ($34 to $48) come in both a host of brilliant hues and patterns and in spa-like neutrals. They’re are an increasingly hot seller, Bakker said.

“People are coming back and getting more and more, they’re amazing towels,” Bakker said. “We have ditched our big plushy ones that never dry in the middle.”

Or use them as a sarong, scarf, shawl or tablecloth, she said.

HAND-BLOWN GLASS LAMP

From Guadalajara, Mexico, these lamps with handmade glass shades seem to glow even when they’re switched off. There is a large floor lamp with an iron tulip-style stem but there are also tabletop versions. They come in everything from cool turquoise to warm earth colours and range from $225 to $525.

“They’re like the sunset or the sunrise,” Bakker said. “They’re just spectacular or in a room with some light coming through.

“They’re beautiful lit up or not.”

DAY OF THE DEAD CATRINA

The papier mâché figures, which range from $21.95 to $90, may seem a mite ghoulish at first glance but they mark a beautiful Mexican tradition, the Day of the Dead, held to remember and celebrate lost loved ones, Bakker said. Here she mixed one of the figures with a canvas print of an iconic Frida Kahlo image. It’s $45 with many of the Mexican painter’s works to choose from.

HAND-PAINTED CERAMIC SKULLS AND PLATTERS

Again from Mexico, comes hand-painted ceramics displayed on a weathered fence to fiesta-like effect. The ceramic skulls range from $45 to $225, while the oversized platters, which can be hung on the wall or used on a tabletop, are $95.

HAND-CARVED ELEPHANTS

Elephants, especially with their trunks held aloft, are associated with good luck. These hand-carved sona wood elephants from Bali range from $15 to $150. Bakker mixed them with Indonesian decorative bowls made by artisans who attach light-catching glass to ceramic. They’re $11.95 to $48.

BALINESE BIRD

This adorably wide-eyed emu is made from iron in Bali in sizes from small at $15.95 to giant for $135. Its vivid primary colours are a perfect match to vibrant paintings of faces for $125 to $250.

PHOTOS: JEAN LEVAC Hand-painted ceramic animal skulls can help you create a fiesta in your backyard. They range in price from $45 to $225.

Fast-drying Turkish towels are hot sellers. They come in a host of brilliant colours or spa-like neutrals and range from $34 to $48. They can also serve as a sarong or even a tablecloth.

Brightly painted papier mâché dolls mark the traditional Mexican Day of the Dead.

A wide-eyed emu sculpture from Bali comes in several sizes for between $15.95 and $135.

Beautiful, hand-carved sona wood elephants from Bali cost between $15 and $150.

Handmade glass lamp shades from Mexico are available in a multitude of colours for $225 to $525.