Treasures from Two Buttons

One of the two gold dragons guarding the entrance 

Ever since I found out that Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love has a store in Frenchtown, New Jersey, I've wanted to drive out there to check it out. The store is filled with things that she and her husband have collected during their travels around the world, with a particular emphasis on Indonesia and India.

Today, I finally got there, and I was not disappointed.

The store is filled with so many things, it would be impossible to list them all. I saw statues of Hindu gods and goddesses, including Buddha, Ganesha, Shiva, and Vishnu.  There were elephant statues of all sizes, some made of metal and others carved of wood. There are colorful Thai robes, pashmina and silk scarves, silk men's ties, and handmade purses. So much beautiful jewelry: beaded and pearl bracelets, necklaces, prayer beads, and glass earrings.  The walls are adorned with decorative mirrors and paintings, and throughout the store you'll find weathered wood furniture and carvings. I also saw ceramic bowls, stone fossils, colorful geodes, hand woven placemats, Tibetan prayer flags and Tibetan singing bowls that come with a colorful, padded cushion. Brightly colored doorknobs and drawer pulls, tin signs, hand-held fans, and all of Elizabeth Gilbert's books hand-signed by the author. There were items that cost thousands of dollars, and items as inexpensive as 50 cents apiece.

Here are the things I bought today, from top to bottom, right to left: a copper Sakyamuni Buddhi head with a beautiful natural patina; Tingshaws (pairs of hanging cymbals used in Buddhist ceremonies); a piece of the Tunguska meteorite that fell to Earth in Siberia in 1908; a hand-carving of a lizard in a piece of driftwood; a piece of Bismuth crystal, with its unique stair-step pattern and rainbow irridescence; a tiny pig figurine carved out of glittery goldstone; a wooden cross in a whitewash finish.

    

 

  

 


There was so much there, I could have spent at least another hour looking through it all. Two Buttons does have a limited number of items available for purchase online. I ordered this Ganesha pendant necklace a few months ago:

Such a cool store, filled with interesting and unique items from the other side of the world. Next time, I'm going to plan to stay in Frenchtown for the day, and visit some of the quaint antique shops and cafes I saw as I drove through. Here are a few more photos from the shop:

Statue just inside the shop

A massive gargoyle statue