Tortoise is a lovely little store on Abbot Kinney.
Filled with delights from Japan, Tortoise hopes to mirror the animal of the same name, bringing the ideals of "slow and steady" to the store. Both traditional crafts as well as modern designs are showcased.
We liked the wood veneer objects, like this basket ($325)and children's games like this cool Wood Block Cluster($42). In terms of gifts, this is a store ripe for picking .
We are obsessed with etched glass and the selection at Tortoise is great. There is a small but interesting selection of furniture, and for those in the know, the 2006 Keisuke Serizawa calendar ($18) is also sold here.
In the store, there is a ceramic bird lamp by a Japanese potter that I covet... but it is $1000. But it is much more interesting than all the Jonathan Adler lamps you see everywhere - granted I have at least 3 of them (Jonathan Adler's).