Started in 1991, The Painted Bird is a shop in the picturesque old fishing port of St.Ives, on the north coast of Cornwall's magical Land's End peninsular. Situated at the Market Place end of St.Ives ancient cobbled shopping street, the shop is filled with a diverse collection of gifts and crafts.
The product range is broad and unusual from suncatchers to owl cushions, mosaic mirrors to bronze hares. We aim to have something for everybody, yet be different from high street shops. We buy things that we like and that we think others will like. Hopefully, these things are both tasteful and affordable.
The product range is broad and unusual from suncatchers to owl cushions, mosaic mirrors to bronze hares. We aim to have something for everybody, yet be different from high street shops. We buy things that we like and that we think others will like. Hopefully, these things are both tasteful and affordable.
In order to achieve this we put a lot of energy into our buying. A good deal of our stock is made in Cornwall and the West Country. To compliment this we have always actively sought to buy from other Celtic nations - in particular Ireland and Scotland. Celtic design has always been a prominent feature of the shop - its appeal enduring and timeless.
As well as the rest of the United Kingdom, we are making regular visits to the continent to purchase ceramics and glassware.
As well as the rest of the United Kingdom, we are making regular visits to the continent to purchase ceramics and glassware.
For the miscellany of crafts that come from further afield (Asia, Latin America, Africa), we buy from conscientious and selective importers, who, in most cases, have checked that the items have been produced in non-exploitive conditions with wages that are reasonable by local standards. The two principal companies we use actively support social projects (orphanage, school equipment, well digging) in some of the communities with which they trade.