The Sudan pavilion at the 18^th edition of Sharjah Heritage Days (SHD) presents an eclectic fusion of wares, with intricately worked and embossed leather bags, traditional items like wicker baskets, jewellery boxes carved with inlaid shell, and plenty of leather wall hangings in animal and wildlife motifs.

It also offers a few curiosities you’re not likely to see anywhere else: baobab tree seeds, used as a cure for stomach pain or issues; and cattle horn, used as interior décor items. The women running the stall, Samia Ali and Najla Al Kashef, have come all the way from Sudan to exhibit their wares at SHD.

“Sudan has historical ties with the UAE and there has always been an exchange of cultural ideas, language and trade between both countries,” says Ali. But here, the ladies are happy sharing their handicraft offerings. “We have ornamental boxes inlaid with sadaf shells, these wicker food baskets used to preserve food by hanging them up, samarra seeds for stomach cures and even an instant hibiscus drink,” says Al Kashef.

Perhaps the most eye-catching items, besides the horns, of course, are SarraElaaz’s embossed leather bags, all handmade by herself.