India, March 28 -- We knew when we published our guide to buying handicrafts two months ago that there was more out there. India's crafts revival isn't limited to wardrobe updates. See how a kettle, a set of playing cards, and illustrated folktales are turning into precious handicrafts too.

Call this kettle blackManipur's Longpi stone pottery

At first glance, it looks like something out of a Dutch design studio. The pottery is heavy, smooth, in a distinctive soft black. Is that a kettle or a doughnut with a handle and spout? That jug - why does it look like a hollowed-out bamboo? There's a coaster, but it's also a jigsaw puzzle...

Turns out, the craft is not only Indian, it's also generations old, and fashioned without a potter's wheel...