I have primarily focused on stuff that is of particular interest to me for a particular reason. In these photos you see my coffee table made with two sheets of glass with a tribal textile between them. The base of the table is two 18th century porcelain jugs used to carry food staples on the ships sailing from Asia to the Spice Islands. When the sailors ran out of money to buy things, they bartered these jugs for coveted items only found in these islands.

I also collected very old books from fishing villages in Scotland. When the older generations die off the younger generation is not interested in their old libraries so they put the books in the local resale shops. I have quite a collection of well known poets and authors..... two sets of Paul Bunyan's works. Also two large volumes of illustrations by Dore which were from Milton's famous works. My oldest find is from the sixteen century and is short stories.

Another shot of my books along with tribal baskets, Arab coffee pot, old kris and sheath (highly decorated tribal saber handed down through generations), miniature paintings on ivory (also on the wall), cloisonné jar, and inlay stone art (taj mahal, and floral hexagon on bottom shelf). The miniature paintings and inlay art are from India.... coffee pot obviously from Saudi Arabia, cloisonne from Singapore, and kris from Indonesia.

My daughter had a life long collection of sea shells from around the world. I have put them in an antique goldsmith's cabinet. He kept his tools in the shallow drawers and displayed his crafts in the glass side.

The miniature onyx, ivory and jade elephants are from India and various asian countries.

Forgot the elephants...... sorry

I usually collect art while traveling, which can go from a large oil painting to a small handmade notecard. My one bathroom's walls are almost completely covered with these memento's. In the past couple of decades, I have tried to bring back useful kitchen items. These range from tea towels to gadgets such as a whisk shaped like a squid to the most wonderful enameled lidded pots to store tea and spices. A good friend once told me that memories are what keep you going when you are old and gray, well, now that I'm getting to that age, I am finding that it is quite true, as looking or using these souvenirs takes me back to many of the wonderful vacations that I have taken across the world.

I have a bunch of stuff that I've bought throughout my world travels that have been packed away because I didn't have the space. I now have a house and will finally be able to show off these things, they're still packed because I've been doing messy renovations.

I just finished a kitchen renovation and to add a personal touch, I discovered DaisyMaeDesignsShop on Etsy ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaisyMaeDesignsShop?ref=l2-shopheader-name ) who takes antique maps and turns into different things. I needed 24 cabinet knobs and had ones made for many of the cities/countries I've visited and have special memories for me, they go great against my new white Shaker cabinets and are already a fun conversation piece.

kroze, you are certainly surrounded by an array of culture, and if I'm reading correctly that you speak of your daughter in past tense(?), then I'm sorry for your loss and what a beautiful tribute display of her shell collection. I treasure a small collection of old books as well, especially the tattered one that my grandfather saved from the janitor's bin at church a hundred years ago, which I carried down the aisle at my wedding.

Love all of the responses!

Sorry to have misled anyone. My seashell loving daughter is still alive and well but has flown the coop. She married an Irishman, immigrated to the U.K. and they now live in Scotland (where I get those great books!). Unfortunately for her, she cannot take the shells to Scotland for at least a few more years.

And many of my old books are religious in subject........ prayer books, hymnals of old, bibles.

I have an antique mantel clock from the Netherlands that I absolutely love. It's a fun addition that everyone seems to notice.

Do you have a picture to share?

This little antique cabinet holds more of my old book collection. The Noah's Ark and pewter animals on top are from Malaysia.

I bring home textiles. They aren't very small to pack, but I plan for that issue. Towels, blankets, yards of fabric, gigantic feather pillows. I started the habit on accident, and have continued on purpose. A friend stopped me from trying to bring home a full size wool rug from India. I think the most amazing (read: lucky) thing I brought home was a porcelain china set from Azerbaijan. I packed it up myself, in the textiles I bought of course, checked it, and it arrived home successfully. The teapot with the long spout was packed in the middle of the aforementioned pillows. :) I like to have things that are going to get used for some purpose. When an item is being used, it often triggers a story and conversation.

Even though every item has special memories for me I find that in decoration a little goes a long way and not everything translates. Here are a few of my travel treasures. I have more under beds and in closets. The sideboard and marble serving tray are from India, the gong is from Vietnam, the drum is from the Middle East, and the paintbrushes are from China. The green bowls I picked up in Turkey and the huge wool carpet is from Afghanistan. I think that showing to much just dilutes the special nature of each piece. I like to present each piece as a focus.

Forgot the carpet. And a mention that on top of the camel's head is an Afghani Wedding Headdress.

Love those green pots and the silk carpet is beautiful.

Well, I definitely plead guilty to having too much. My home certainly comes closer to looking like a museum than a residence. However, I'm not sure what I should not have bought. :)

This is going to sound strange but while in Germany I found the perfect measuring spoons. I liked their design. I tend to like items that I can use daily not necessarily for decoration. I can't post a pic as everything I own is in storage :(

qatarsessions, did you buy a lot of that gorgeous stone inlay work in Afghanistan? I collected quite a bit, especially the lapis stuff. Also picked up four carpets there.
Love your collection! You have a good eye!

Katherine, that isn't strange at all! Wish we could see your pics. Maybe soon. :)

I bought copper cookware in France, and chandeliers in Prague and Istanbul.

I recently got some stuff out of long storage and found a lurid, sequined voodoo flag from Haiti, some turquoise and yellow Kenyan tribal cloths made into curtains, and a large number of Pakistani rugs that don't match anything in my house.

Sigrid, I would suggest you go to Craig's List and post them. If the carpets are fairly nice you could turn a good profit. There is always someone out there wanting unusual things.

I am humbled by the amazing travel finds everyone has posted. I picked up a beautiful antique miniature in France which is displayed in my bedroom and small watercolors from Paris and Venice that I display in my house, but my biggest collection is in my powder room. Its total kitsch and is made up of carved animals, seashells and a few paintings from our travels in the more tropical climates. Most are from all over Mexico, but also Belize and Hawaii, plus I just picked up a manatee print while vacationing in Florida two weeks ago. Its a reminder of swimming in the gulf of Mexico and having a manatee surface within arm's length.

can you tell me where you got the map mural on your wall in the main picture?

Purchased from a single vendor in Santiago Atìtlan, Guatemala.

I have a bunch of masks from Mauritius, Martinique, etc, but they are still in storage box...not sure where to display them yet

I'm going to have to remember to take photos of mine tonight. :)

I love decorating with items I bought during my travels. I'm also inspired by my travels when designing for myself or others. I enjoy buying whatever catches my eye as long as it's handmade by local artists - nothing from typical tourist shops. My favourite though is paintings and having them custom-framed once I get home. I have about a dozen paintings but this was my first one from an artist in Argentina. In my office I have a wall of travel memorabilia from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Cuba, Tunisia, Costa Rica, San Andres (Colombia), Nice (France) and Buenos Aires (Argentina). In my dining room I have a tapestry from Morocco, a linen table runner from Vietnam and a hand-made ceramic pottery from Nicaragua (bought directly from the artist). I also like to buy textiles like these pillows from Bogotà (Colombia), Vietnam and Morocco on the bed in my guest bedroom. When I look at all these things (I have alot more!) it brings out my wanderlust and makes me want to discover a new country all over again! :))

Kroze I love the fact that you have filled your home with unique and meaningful objects from your travels. However I am saddened and dismayed that you have items made of ivory. Carved elephants no less! Ever seen a herd of slaughtered elephants butchered by poachers with the baby elephants left to die without their family? Tragic and SO unnecessary.

ccto64, yes I have seen them. I bought these many decades ago in India. This was BEFORE there was public knowledge of the slaughters. I love the elephants.... have ridden many over the years. But you must consider the fact that all elephants eventually die and their tusks can be harvested at that time for use in crafts. We have no way of knowing the source of my ivory. I also have five miniature painting on ivory that are done exquisitely in India. The intricacy of their art is amazing.

Of course it is now illegal to buy ivory and I have not purchased any since the 70s.

Kroze. You are correct in saying that of course the purchase of ivory is illegal. Unfortunately that doesn't curtail the demand by certain groups of people who are ruthless and have no scruples as to how the ivory is obtained. I wouldn't have an issue with ivory being used if obtained after the elephant dies of old age, especially to be used by such gifted artisans as the Indian miniaturists and not, say, some tacky keychain. I sincerely hope your items were sourced from ivory not obtained by poaching. It's an ugly, brutal business as you are aware. I felt compelled to write my comment because I am sensitive to hearing (reading) someone make mention of beautiful ivory objects, thereby making them seem something worth acquiring. All creatures are so much more beautiful alive and existing in their environment than dead and mounted IMHO. Glad you love the elephants too. : )

I totally agree..... :)

While I love to travel the world and bring objects home, I also love to have the world at hand!

That was cool! I am a map freak and frequently spend hours poring over the geography! So I can appreciate your collection!

I regret that most schools no longer teach geography. It can be such an inspiration to young minds.

I bought a very large clear vase and it is filled with what would ordinarily be junk souvenirs, but somehow all together in a vase the tiny wood shoes from Holland look great mixed in with a magnet from an amusement park because there is so much in the vase. It has become a conversation piece on a table between two comfortable chairs. I have had to buy a bigger vase two times so far and hope to keep it growing. A great family history.

Kroze (and anyone else), how do you get all of your items back home and do you have any tips or know how info on bringing things back through customs? I'm going to Turkey next year and I want to bring smaller things back home because they are easy to carry. I'd like to know about bringing big things back to the US.

On getting big items back home when traveling.............

This is what I have done in the past. Before you leave on your journey, call your local shipping companies and ask if they have any containers coming from your travel destination. Most shipping containers are not quite full. If I can find a shipment, I get a quote for adding cargo to their shipment. Usually that will be quoted in cubic meters. This will be at a reduced rate because the space will be otherwise wasted. If you are fortunate enough to find more than one company with available cargo space you can bargain!

This is much easier if your destination is a popular export area like Hong Kong, Taiwan, the U.K., European ports, and almost anywhere with major shipping lanes. Of course, once it arrives at your home Country, you will need to arrange for land transport. K-Line is a good option for ocean and land shipments but there are many others. They will give you instructions on how to have your purchases delivered to them in the foreign country.

If you work it diligently you will be amazed at how reasonably it can be done!

These are a few of the more unusual things I have collected.

These are a solid brass ship's helm and ship's telegraph salvaged from an old ship. They weigh a ton! Then there is the brass samovar which I purchased in the cover bazaar in Istanbul. It is from the 18th century. Have no idea the age of the ship stuff. We also have a solid brass diver's helmet not pictured and a ship compass from the same time period. All purchased in Asia.

Kroze, love so much of your outstanding collection, but are you sure you're not using pics from a maritime museum in this last posting ? : ) You must have worked hard retrieving those ships binnacles, wheels etc. Must have been quite a dive. They look just a little too shiny and un-used to me, to be antiques. Those Asians make very accurate replicas you know, so do be careful what you spend on 'antiques' in Asian countries.

Oh no rosecafe, believe me, there are plenty of chinks in the helm and telegraph. There is absolutely NO doubt that they are authentic. But a little bit of Brasso and elbow grease can still make them shine. There is no possibility of recent fabrication here. My husband and I both have an eye for detecting any re-creation. (and we have seen quite a few!)

Like I said in the post, these pieces weigh hundreds of pounds! It takes two men to lift them! And then they cannot move them far without resting. No fabricator could have pulled this off! The evidence of age is etched deeply in them.

We purchased these on the island of Java and we are quite sure they were salvage from an old ship in one of their many ports. We lived in Java twelve years and the local salvage folks knew where to come when they found these things. They brought them to our front door. My husband was in the Navy and loves nautical stuff. These are his acquisitions. He also collected old Dutch wall clocks and a grandfather clock. These were left by the Dutch when the locals overthrew their rule over the islands. There were many old Dutch items to be found if you knew where to look.

But most of my collections were purchased outside of the islands.

Thanks for your insightful comment Kroze, I'm just a little bit jealous. They're fine pieces indeed. Lucky you, and well done collecting so many interesting and invaluable objects. That includes your husband of course! : )

Thank you rosecafe. You are very kind.

I will bore you with a couple more pics and then quit ..... : )

The first is one of several carved pieces that was salvaged from an old Chinese bed. I put a mirror behind it. The next is an old Javanese bed that my daughter used growing up. The last two are just some more of my textile collection.

I have a client that collected all Baltimore memorabilia.. She sent them to me and I designed a collage and I transferred the collage onto ceramic tiles for her kitchen backsplash.. see image..Pretty cool

http://www.AliciatappDesigns.com
Any image on tiles

Cool website Alicia. Beautiful work!

We bought a bedroom set while we lived in London. I have lots of smaller items as well, but this are the most notable pieces. I wasn't really looking to buy a set of furniture; I only wanted an armoire but once I saw this set I really had to have it.

Speaking of world maps, I worked in corporate environments for about 10 years. That can be SUCH a soul-less "culture." One thing I found through a lucky chance was that, when I'd pin a world map on the outside of my cubicle, suddenly there would be meaningful and interesting conversations on a regular basis. It really brought people together, and brought them out! What a welcome change from discussing last night's TV shows.

I have a cabinet in my guest bath that has items from travel and various events in my life. I try and keep small trinkets so they do not take up much space but still can remind me of how I got them.

We always bring back small local currency and put it in a tall glass vase.

Some fantastic ideas for me to do with all my collected memories. Has anyone have any suggestions where to order a smaller world map for the wall say 6 to 8 feet? I would like to track where each of my family members have been and be able to view it from time to time. Thanks!

I have a small pair of painted wooden shoes from the Netherlands, several small ceramic pieces (tiles and bas relief) from different parts of Italy, and small wooden boxes from Italy and Russia. I also have a few pieces of English china I bought in the Reject China Shop in London, as well as my preferred decorating option for souvenirs--Christmas ornaments. I have dozens of them, for all over the world. Packable, easy to rotate, and easy to share. I also have a lot of pen and ink sketches, and a few water colors from all over the world. My all time favorite, though, is the pair of sketches of my son and daugther that we had done in Saltzburg, Austria. They are a decent size, so they were a bit of a nuisance to carry home, even though we put them in mailing tubes. I never wanted to ship anything home, so there were some nice pieces of furniture I passed up along the way.

I collect leaves from trees or plants (or even from the streets) from a country or a city I visited then press them. Once dry, I frame them and write a caption with the name of the country/city and the year and add to my collection of other leaves from other countries or cities I've been to. It makes for a nice display with a natural and botanical/curio feel to it.

From barbadoes we brought a hand carved bowl. From disney with the kids. We buy a ornament for all of them. They pick them and we get one family vacation one with the year. Here is a few. Sometimes we get a shirt a peice of jewelry it just depends on what we find. I like to find something from the traditions of the country, island or state or place we visit. Sometimes all you can bring is a picture of your child swimming with a turtle. I forgot we have bought art pieces from galleries for he kids. They will always have them along with the ornaments.