Safe Harbors Collection

It’s early morning and you’re on a ferry—just about to set off. The excitement wells up in your belly as the wind brushes your face with a mist of seawater. A bell rings somewhere on the dock, and finally, the ropes drop from the pier—you’re on your way.

There are many stops on this voyage. Some bring you joy, and some will bring sadness. But the experience is a real one, and that’s what you want. You carry pieces with you along the way: things to remind you of the journey, of each special port. What will you choose to remember the feeling of floating, then arriving, on the ferry?

Rope and rough weathered wood will bring the mariner’s memory safely home. A collection to celebrate the journey—we call it Safe Harbors. While the nautical style is a classic look, we bring a new dimension with the addition of the rugged.

The world is large and great and should be traveled. But when we cannot travel, sometimes an object can tell of a story or experience—and we can live that experience through our interaction with that object (with a little help of our imagination.) It’s like visiting the home of an elderly friend for the first time. We walk around the room, slowly examining all the trinkets lining the shelves. Perhaps we find old photographs, foreign coins, books, an hourglass or compass. Every one of those pieces has a story behind it—one that our friend tells, with a twinkle in his eye.

Just like a home filled with things collected from here or there, the Safe Harbors collection is a group of objects that come from faraway places. Each has a story and a memory held within it. When we invite these objects into our homes, we bring with us a blessing from the person who so lovingly crafted it.

Daniel Teye Doku makes the Pelican Belly Wind Chime in his own workshop called Dan Beaded Handicraft. In this video, Daniel demonstrates the work that goes into every bead he makes. His smile is genuine, his work is sincere. At Ten Thousand Villages, we know that there is a person behind every product, and our mission is to share their stories.