We at PRIOR usually buy our holiday gifts during our travels throughout the year, seeking far-flung treasures that will delight and inspire. This year, delight and inspiration are still the motivation behind what our team is gifting, but they are joined by a desire to both acknowledge the moment and help friends and family dream beyond it, to a time when we’ll travel and toast together again. Here are our selections for making every day more extraordinary.
Chich-Bich Backgammon
Flaÿou is a Tunis-based design studio I discovered through my friend Pauline, who’s always waxing rhapsodic about Tunisia and its design community. Their creations follow the 3,000-year-old tradition of Berber craftsmanship using local materials like clay, but I’m especially drawn to their extremely joyful designs, which are perfect for this festive season. This backgammon set is inspired by the pottery of the Sejnane region and is crafted entirely by hand — made super fun with electric blue accents. — Carlos Huber
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Salvador Dalí’s Tarot Cards
Whether you’re a believer in the mystic or not, this set of tarot cards by the seminal Surrealist artist holds its own as an object to be admired for its wildly creative imagery — that is, if it’s not used for divine guidance till the corners become well worn. These cards have been a huge source of inspiration since I discovered them. While I’ve never quite gotten around to it, I’ve always imagined the set hung as individually framed artworks to fill a wall. I’m hoping a friend who receives these might make it happen. — Conor Burke
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Junzou Maekawa Kyūsu
This year, I'll be gifting this rustic kyūsu––a traditional Japanese teapot used for brewing green tea like sencha, gyokuro and even genmaicha or houjicha––from Kettl. Handcrafted in Japan by young potter Maekawa Junzou, its playful round shape and easy handling make this a great pot for those getting into tea and seasoned drinkers alike. It's the perfect gift for anyone obsessed with wabi-sabi, the Japanese philosophy centered around the acceptance of transience, with wabi meaning "rustic simplicity" and sabi meaning "one taking pleasure in the imperfect." — Ben Hannon Hubley
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Burkina Slides
I’m a huge fan of Aurora James and everything she does, from the 15% pledge initiative that she created to Brother Vellies, her brand of handmade (and insanely chic) artisanal shoes and accessories. Made across the globe in South Africa, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Italy, Haiti and New York City, each pair celebrates the place they come from and the people who made them. These Burkina Slides are so fun, colorful and practical! The local patterns are woven in Burkina Faso by a marginalized community of female weavers. I think they spark a bit of hope for warmer days ahead. — Vanessa Montenegro
