Save an extra 20% on our selection of Tagua Carvings from Panama and Ecuador. Two unique styles of design, and over 100 pieces to choose from.

Also added today are a wide variety of carved gourd pieces from Peru. Choose from carved baskets, boxes, and marachas.

We just added nearly a hundred different handcrafted ocarina whistles and flutes to our website. Each is molded and painted by hand and feature a variety of classic

Also added today are a wide variety of carved gourd pieces from Peru. Choose from carved baskets, boxes, and marachas.

Like all Peruvian tapestry, Ayacucho is named after the region in which it is made.  This tapestry was originally created in Santa Ana, which is a smaller town just outside Ayacucho.  Interestingly, Ayacucho tapestry comes in three distinct grades.  First, you have the street quality, which is made from virgin wool and natural dyes. Second, there is the special quality Ayacucho tapestry, made from pre-washed wool and aniline dyes.  Third, you have signed, which is woven and sighed by the master makers.
 
Typically, Ayacucho tapestry from Peru is created in geometric designs of nature, often taken from Codices such as ancient Aztecs, Mayans, or Incas, as well as temple carvings.  In the town of Ayacucho, alpacas and sheep are raised specifically so the wool can be used to make this type of tapestry.  Most often, the imagery seen in the tapestry has influence of the Incas along with Nazca people from earlier times.
 
You will also find tapestries depicting things such as flowers, birds, butterflies, and many other Andean cultural aspects.  All of the sheep wool is handspun, and then naturally dyed with native vegetable, mineral, and animal dye.  Unfortunately, with the growing gang violence and lack of proper food, women will work 15, 16, and 17 hours a day to create Ayacucho tapestries.  Although the work is hard, they are courageous, creating true masterpieces.
 
Another common theme scene in Ayacucho tapestries is ancestral things and mythological creatures.  Many times, you will find tapestries such as this made from a blend of 70% alpaca and 30% wool, which means durability, strength, and a beautiful piece to last for years.  As you can imagine, this type of weaving over long hours provides the women and men with significant income.  However, with violence looming, we see many people being forced from the weaving industry.
 
Regardless, for the Ayacucho tapestries that survive, they are amazingly beautiful and well made.  With such vibrant colors and designs, the Ayacucho tapestry is in wide demand.  The skill learned from ancestors continues being used today, creating some of the most amazing tapestries in all of South America.

Deep inside the jungle of the Darien Rainforest in Panama you will find yourself surrounded by very kind and generous people. These people are better known as the Wounaan Indians, which are one of the two groups of the Choco Indians that migrated from a region, with the same name, in Colombia in the times when Panama was part of that country.

The most interesting characteristic that distinguishes this group of Indians from the rest is the ability to weave intricate baskets. As a daily activity you can see Wounaan Indian women, and even the youngest girls weaving baskets in their free time. The art of the Wounaan Basketry combines nature and their native culture. These women weave the Chunga Palm with other plants and vines, bark and leaves. The more refined decorative baskets are created from palm materials of the Nahual bush and the Chunga tree and usually have many colors. There are baskets that are simple and utilitarian and which might be used to carry heavy loads or small animals or fish, and some others that are used for agricultural purposes such as carrying seeds or harvesting crops.

Now the Indians create smaller versions of these beautiful baskets so others can own them and they can purchase much needed items for their tribe.

Both the Wounaan and Embera Indians are beautiful and unique people. Formerly known as Choco Indians, they live today very much as they did during the days of Christopher Columbus. The Embera tribe is around 15,000, inhabiting the Darien rainforest of Panama. The Wounaan tribe is only about 2,600 strong, but they too live in the Darien rainforest. The culture of both tribes is that of a river basin, living in the forest territory.

One of the most fascinating aspects of these people is their contribution to the making of modern day pharmaceuticals. With incredible botanical knowledge from living in the rainforest, their expertise has been unrivaled. Today, you can visit this rainforest and see the magnificent flowers along the jungle trek for yourself. In fact, you can take tours that will show you how to paint your body in the same way as the Embera Indians do, using Jagua, which is a natural type of fruit dye. Then, the handicrafts made by the Indians are incredible.

Considered master artisans, these tribes make beautiful baskets and woodcarvings that cannot be topped. The Embera people also use woodcarving for everyday life such as making canoes, weapons, paddles, furniture, and so on. However, they now also carve tagua, which is called “vegetable ivory”. From this material, the Indians have made some of the most imaginative art you have ever seen, inspired by the animals and plants found within the rainforest.

Taking the tagua, they sand it down and then use various types of lacquer or varnish to create sheen. The tagua is ivory colored with dark brown or gray skin. In addition, the Embera Indians can use natural extracts taken from the earth and plants to create vibrant colors, which are then used to dye the baskets. For the pieces of handiwork with jaguar details, only top quality Indian ink is used.

Although both Wounaan and Embera Indians now exist in a modern village, they once lived a very primitive life in the rainforest. They remained in the rainforest until the early part of the 16th century until the Spaniards arrived. Although they were far from the comforts of civilization, they were happy people, living their own life in the only way they knew. Their tribes were peaceful and harmonious. As proud and peaceful people, they do tend to be a bit suspicious of people from the outside but once their trust is gained, they are very genuine.

If you visit the village, be aware that both men and women walk around without much clothing so you know what to expect, as this is simply their way of living. The men are muscular with straight black hair and earrings. Some men do wear a g-string but not much else. The body is often heavily painted using dye from the genip tree. For red paint, achiote is used and for orange, seed pod.

The tagua nut has a strong resemblance to animal ivory, making it a wonderful resource for creating all types of beautiful things. For many years, the tagua nut was used primarily for making buttons but with new technology and more affordable materials such as plastics, a decline began. Even so, the tagua nut still has value in the making of other things to include chess set pieces, jewelry, handles for canes, dice, figurines, etc. In fact, many of the Victorian jewelry pieces made from the tagua nut are quite expensive.

The positive aspect of the tagua nut is that just one tree produces enough ivory to equal that of a female elephant trunk, meaning by choosing tagua, innocent animals are spared. Because of this, today we see the tagua nut again becoming very popular as more and more people are fighting to protect endangered species used for ivory. The only downfall is that these nuts, which grow in the rainforests of Panama, Ecuador, and a few other places around the world, are all harvested by hand to ensure the trees are not harmed. As you can imagine, the process is labor intensive. However, it does create needed jobs in these areas of the world!

The other benefit of using the tagua nut from Panama is that the rainforest is being protected as a sustainable income for the people. By growing these trees and keeping them harvested, forests are not degrading into poor quality land. That means the rainforest can remain a beautiful part of our world while the local tribesmen have income that helps when caring for their families.

The tagua tree is more like a palm tree that will grow upwards of 30 feet tall. Thriving on the damp areas of the rainforest, you will actually find different species of the tagua palm. As the tagua nut grows, it develops into protected clusters, each consisting of several egg-sized nuts. When the nuts are young, they are very tender, almost jelly like. Inside the young nuts is a special type of liquid that the people living in the rainforest love to drink. Additionally, many of the animals eat the tagua nut as a part of their regular diet. Then, as the tagua nut matures, it becomes extremely hard and durable, thus becoming a perfect choice for magnificent creations.

Tagua nut carvings from Panama have been such a great source of income for the forest people, giving them back self-sufficiency and pride. Many of these people are no longer able to live a full tribal life simply because of the demise of the rainforest so this type of harvesting allows them to retain their sense of self and history. Today, we sadly see many highways and modern buildings being built right through rainforests, causing this natural resource to erode. The good news is that many organizations have been formed to protect this type of land, with great success.

Once the tagua nuts are picked from the ground, the artisans carve them into amazing pieces. Interestingly, these carvings are so detailed and perfect, that many have become prized collections throughout the world. You will find that many of the tagua nut carvings from Panama depict the nature of the rainforest to include monkeys, birds, and various other animals. In fact, the carvings are typically considered an artistic expression for these tribal men, giving them the opportunity to incorporate their feelings, dreams, and aspirations into the designs.

In addition to figurines, the tagua nut is also commonly used for making everyday eating and cooking utensils. Some of the spirit sticks were used for ceremonies by the rainforest shamans (witch doctors) as well. Today, you can visit the Bernheim Gallery, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and Panama Audubon Society all displaying many of these beautiful pieces. For this reason, collectors around the globe try to get their hands on any type of carving, viewing them as incredible pieces of art.

Located in the northwest portion of Ecuador, a unique venture began called the Tagua Initiative was formed. This began in 1990 by Conservation International as a means of creating economic incentives associated with the tagua palm nut, trying to find a way for the harvests to be sustained. Because of this initiative, today we see almost 2,000 people belonging to the Comuna Rio Santiago-Cayapas, holding down jobs. However, these jobs depend on the rainforest being left unharmed, allowing the tagua nut to continue growing.

The tagua plant is somewhat like a palm tree that produces a nut. When this nut is young it tender, being filled with a liquid that the people living in the rainforest drink. However, as the tagua nut matures, it becomes very hard at which time it falls from the tree. Once on the ground, the people harvest it to create amazing things. Interesting, the nuts that are not used for carving are created into “bricks” used as a fuel source because of the high heat production.

The tagua plant must grow for about 20 years before it starts to produce fruit. Even so, the nuts are not good for harvesting for five to eight years after fruit is produced. Therefore, it is not a plant that could be profitable but its nuts are. The root system of this plant has a 98% survival rate if burned. Therefore, even if there were to be a horrendous fire, the tree would be rained on and continue to grow. Because the tree produces such a versatile nut, by purchasing things made from the tagua, the rainforest is being protected.

Although the tagua plant can be found in other places, Ecuador is just one of a few countries where you can find it. Because the tagua nut is hard and resistant, while still being beautiful, it is considered a prized possession, often used in the making of precious jewelry. Other things the tagua nut is used for include chess set pieces, figurines, key chains, buttons, and much more.

Prior to plastic buttons being introduced in the United States, approximately 20% were actually made from the tagua nut. In fact, during the 1920’s, $5 million annually was brought into Ecuador for the exportation of the tagua buttons. These buttons, along with the other type of tagua carvings are often called vegetable ivory because of the color and texture. Since animal ivory is on the decline, the tagua nuts have been considered a great substitute without anything being harmed.

Sadly, much of the rainforest area in this part of the world has been destroyed. However, this Comuna sits by the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, which is a very diverse area and one that is protected. This is an important hotspot since today, less than 1% of the earth is covered by rainforest hotspots yet it contains as much as 40% of biodiversity. Therefore, the Ecological Reserve protects this area so that workers can continue making their tagua nut carvings.

The Shipibo people live near the Ucayali River in areas of eastern Peru around in the Amazon Basin. These natives are extremely talented, making distinctive pottery that is traditional for their lifestyles. For example, Shipibo vases are handmade and then decorated using natural pigments from the earth. The geometric designs are representation of the visions of the Shipibo people, which is why this type of pottery is so unique and prized.

After the creation of a Shipibo vase or other piece of pottery, they are decorated and then fired in low heated, open fires. When done, the pieces of pottery are finished with a vegetable-based compound that makes it waterproof while creating a gorgeous sheen. These people live deep in the Amazon rainforest. Although they live a primitive life with limited contact with outside civilizations, the pottery made is unbelievable beautiful.

The men of the tribe are hunters and gatherers that still practice head hunting. However, the women are the pottery makers. Typically, clay is found, which takes several days in a dugout canoe to reach. The clay is then mixed with ashes coming from the bark of trees growing in the area. This mixture is then ground up into small fragments of broken pottery. From this, each piece is hand crafted, without using a potter’s wheel.

The sides of the pottery are made thin, which is what makes each pottery piece so amazingly lightweight. Once the pieces have dried in the warm sun for several days, the clay goes through the firing process. The white base color is created from a clay slip whereas the red and black geometric designs come from the process of boiling bark. Then, resin is obtained from tree sap, which gives the Shipibo pottery its unique glaze.

Most often, you would see the design of a cross and serpent. However, the geometric patterns are all easily recognized and characteristic of things seen in everyday life. For example, for special occasions, the decorations on the Shipibo pottery will depict a face and a body, which is believed to be a magical and religious expression. However, outsiders are not quite sure of the true meaning.

Keep in mind that Shipibo pottery actually started for utilitarian purposes. Pieces would be used for eating, preserving food, carrying water, and so on. However, as the Shipibo people discovered money and the things it could buy, they began selling the pottery, thus getting word out to the rest of the world about their amazing talent. Unfortunately, the trip to reach the market for the Shipibo people is a long, dangerous one.

Peru is known for many incredible things, one being the San Pedro de Cajas tapestry. Absolutely, exquisite this tapestry is all hand woven, made from 90% sheep wool and just 10% cotton. San Pedro de Cajas tapestry is vibrantly colored using all-natural dyes that come from cochineal insects. The patterns are all very, distinct, boasting white houses, red roofs, and magnificent green backgrounds. The fascinating thing about this type of Peruvian tapestry is that it can be displayed from either front or back with two wood dowels that are stretched across both top and bottom.

San Pedro de Cajas sits high in the Andes Mountains of Peru about 13,000 feet up. Each tapestry design is washed, dyed, and brushed prior to the start of the weaving process. The artisans are both male and female, each working hard to ply wool and dye. In fact, you will find entire families involved with the tapestry making process. The wool used comes from the area, which allows the dye to work beautifully.

The region of San Pedro de Cajas received its name from the legend of the patron saint named San Pedro who came to Cesar Yuri Roman in a dream. In this dream, San Pedro asked Cesar to return to his town to help but Cesar did not take the dream seriously, instead ignoring the request of San Pedro. However, just a few days later, a massive mudslide destroyed Cesar’s business. With this, a broke Cesar returned to San Pedro de Cajas, starting a new tapestry weaving business, a skill that had been passed down through his family.

Determined to reconcile the damage he had caused himself, Cesar worked on a particular weaving of the image of a saint. Unfortunately, the ancient traditions and techniques were crude, making it impossible. At that time, only geometrical shapes could be woven. However, still determined to succeed, Cesar developed a new technique, which he called padding. With this, he could work the tapestry in more detail with realistic designs and figures. The new system was very, successful, leading other local artisans to adopt it for their own designs.

Because the San Pedro de Cajas tapestries have such incredible colors and intricate designs, they have become exceedingly popular and in high demand. From that time forward, the tapestries have continued to grow in popularity and today, people from around the world visiting Peru can visit Cesar’s tapestry museum. His success with color and design was so incredible that the local government honored him with the title of Doctor in Craftsmanship that came along with a beautiful medal.

With the blend of materials and the hand looming, you will fall in love with the San Pedro de Cajas tapestries. What most people comment on are the clear, vibrant colors and realistic designs. In fact, these tapestries are generally considered art more so than textile. If you have a chance to get your hands on one of these tapestries, you will have a lifelong treasure!

Plaza de Armas is a place located in Peru where potters made Quinua Ayacucho pottery. Of all art forms in Peru, pottery lands at the top of the list. You will find a number of interesting techniques, shapes, colors, and designs. However, most of these are specific to the region within Peru in which the pottery is made.

The town of Quinua is most known for the talent of the potters. They are famous for manufacturing pieces of pottery known as “Quinua Ceramics”. Each of these pieces is designed to display local customs. Quinua is just 23 miles from the capital city and is the site of the Battle of Ayacucho where the country received its independence when fighting against Spanish troops.

In addition to Quinua Ayacucho pottery, this city is also famous for the high quality of red and cream clay that is used to make the pottery pieces. Although the forms and techniques are simple, almost child-like, the results are what amaze people. Many of the pottery pieces are chapels, churches, bulls, and houses. However, it is also common to see figurines of peasant farmers, neighbors busy gossiping, and religious themes.

Now, you can purchase Quinua Ayacucho pottery from a number of shops that specialize in these pieces or if you prefer, directly from one of the artisans who will sign the piece made. Of all the pottery pieces, the chapel and churches are the most popular. Typically, these ceramic pieces are used on mantles, bookshelves, or tables. Interestingly, the church pottery piece is used to protect homes from evil spirits, which is why you see them displayed.

When visiting Quinua, you can visit the Plaza area by climbing the charming cobblestone walkway. The buildings in this town are whitewashed and there is even a quaint village church. These pottery pieces are exported around the globe because of the quality and whimsy of each piece. In fact, the local people have become quite good at marketing the products, getting word out about these brightly colored pottery pieces. However, today you will even find Quinua Ayacucho pottery made in pastel colors, something unheard of years ago. In fact, original pieces were all earth tone.

Although you will find more and more modern pieces of pottery being developed you can certainly still buy the traditional church or other figurines. While there are many skilled artisans that make Quinua Ayacucho pottery, one of the most famous artists is Mamerto Sanchez. As you walk along the main road, you will find a number stalls where pieces are sold.

Nicaraguan pottery is absolutely, beautiful and today, very popular. Certain Spanish colonists known as the Gallegos and Bracamonte settled in Nicaraguan sometime in the late 1500s. The village was called San Juan el Batista, which years later, was renamed to San Juan de los Platos because of the successful pottery industry. In fact, the Spaniards were paid in the form of pottery. Then when Nicaragua became independent from Spain in 1821, the village was again renamed, this time to San Juan de Oriente.

Interestingly, the making of pottery was considered work only to be performed by women, as well as other domestic chores to include cleaning, cooking, and caring for the children. In fact, the women living in San Juan made the pieces of pottery all by hand, just as their ancestors had done, using a free form design and coil method. The firing of the pottery was down outside in a campfire where the pieces would be fired quickly in an open flame, usually from one to three hours. Today, you will still find some woman in San Juan still using this same method.

In addition, oxen pulled carts are still seen, each pulling clay in burlap sacks coming from the farms as they head into the city. The clay is taken to the workshop where artisans empty the clay from the bags into a hole, filled with water to help soften it. The next day, the clay is soft enough to be worked, at which time sand is added. Then, the clay is put on top of a sack at which time it is stamped to help soften it further while also blending in the sand and working out any unwanted air bubbles. This process generally takes about three hours, which is per mix.

After the clay has been softened and blended, it is massages by hand, clearing out roots and rocks. One person will dedicate up to 16 hours, again for one mix. At this point, the clay is stomped on by foot and then ready to be formed. The artisan then takes a ball of the clay and using a kick wheel will begin to shape it into many different shapes. Then, it is cut from the wheel using a piece of nylon. The clay is set aside and the pieces all turned upside down, allowing the indentation to form for the base. For this process, it takes anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the ball and the skill level of the artisan.

Once all the pieces of clay have been shaped, the surface is polished. With this process, any smaller roots or stones can be seen or felt, allowing the potter to remove them and continue with the polishing. When this is done, the clay is smooth and the surface ready for color. For just the polishing portion of the procession, it takes the artisan between 10 and 30 minutes per piece.

Now, once all the pieces of clay are smooth, black liquid clay is painted on. This special clay known as “black clay” or “cogove” comes from El Sonce. When diluted with water and then strained over several days, what remains is the black clay. In fact, some natives will use black clay as face paint. However, for making Nicaraguan pottery, several layers are applied. Once all the pieces of clay are painted, they are placed into a plastic bag and allowed to dry up to seven days. After completely drying, the clay again undergoes the polishing phase with a flat-type instrument.

The next phase involves applying a layer of Oxido de Zinc, which is bone white oxide. The tone creates a nice base on which additional color can be painted onto the pottery. Again, the wet pieces are placed in a plastic bag where they dry for 2 to 10 hours. After drying, the Nicaraguan pottery pieces again go through the polishing process. Now, beautiful designs are traced, drawn, or painted onto the pieces using a pencil. Typically, repetition patterns are drawn onto a piece of paper at which time they are transferred through tracing but at different angles. On the other hand, curricular lines are painted using the wheel.

For the decoration and painting of the Nicaraguan pottery, using the colored oxides, the designed are painted on with paintbrushes made from recycled plastic shell belonging to a ballpoint pin and the hair of children who had haircuts. This process takes anywhere from one to four hours, which depends on the level of detail. Once all the color is painted on, the pottery pieces are smoothed out and polished. Again, they are dried (not in plastic), which takes up to six days.

The next step of creating Nicaraguan pottery is to outline the designs with a sharp instrument. This particular technique must be done very carefully so just the top layers of the clay are removed, allowing the rough surface of the style to remain. The tool uses is generally from broken bicycle spokes or a broken umbrella and then sharpened to a find point.

Firing is the next step that has changed somewhat over the years. Originally, kilns were shared and precious but today, you find many of the Nicaraguan artisans with their own. Each kiln is made from clay bricks, along with other necessary materials needed for making a burning oven. Some of the potters who are just starting out in the pottery business will experiment with the process but in most cases, the firing would start with two hours of heat.

From there, the heat is gradually increased over a three-hour period. Then, the heat is turned up high, burning the clay pieces for about four hours. Finally, once the kiln has cooled (usually the next day), the pottery is removed and with a soft cloth, shined. To bring out the shine to its fullest, natural shoe polish is used. The result is amazing piece of art that is a one-of-a-kind and completely, handcrafted.

Throughout Peru, you will find several types of pottery, one being Chulucana. Using ancient, pre-Hispanic techniques by various cultures, the styles used are known as Colombian and negative painting, which is done by limiting oxygen flow in the furnace. These techniques are commonly used for making Chulucana pottery, which comes directly from Piura in the northern jungles. The natives of the Arabelas community create these pieces by hand, which are beautiful.

In addition to these two methods, another option is used in Simbila, Cajamarca, and Mollepampa. In this case, the Chulucana pottery shapes are made by hand with clay that has been beaten with a spatula. The pieces of pottery made are also made for both utilitarian and decorative purposes. In fact, the pieces made in Chulucanas has 250 artisans registered, making this pottery one of the finest in all of South America.

The motifs have become very popular. Made with rich, black color, the pottery is then glazed. You will often see portrayals of local people to include street vendors, musicians, dancers, and so on. Then, Chulucana pottery also depicts animals. Because of the beautiful design and durability of this pottery, it is widely traded in various markets of Arequipa, Juliaca, and Cusco.

One of the aspects of Peru that inspired the long tradition of pottery making is the climate. Although pottery making has been around for centuries, it has become increasingly popular in the last three decades. Everyone has his or her own favorite pottery design but some of the favorites include elders, old sages, mothers, lovers, laborers, and goddesses. Because of such diversity, Chulucana pottery has something for everyone.

The clay used for Chulucana pottery is mined from Mount Vicus. The clay is then mixed with water coming from melted snow and desert sand. Then the pieces of pottery are hand formed with the color and patterns being created with natural materials that are mixed with soil and applied to the surface of the pottery piece. To create the black color on the pieces, smoke from burning mango leaves and wood is used. The only areas not touched are those covered with the glazing mixture.

Once the Chulucana has been fired, it is polished by rubbing it with a fine stone. The polishing completes the pottery making process, which gives each piece a beautiful, semi-gloss finish. To finish off the pottery, it is signed by the artist. As you can imagine, Chulucana pottery is delicate so you will find small variations or imperfections that only lead to the intrigue.

Like all Peruvian tapestry, Ayacucho is named after the region in which it is made. This tapestry was originally created in Santa Ana, which is a smaller town just outside Ayacucho. Interestingly, Ayacucho tapestry comes in three distinct grades. First, you have the street quality, which is made from virgin wool and natural dyes. Second, there is the special quality Ayacucho tapestry, made from pre-washed wool and aniline dyes. Third, you have signed, which is woven and sighed by the master makers.

Typically, Ayacucho tapestry from Peru is created in geometric designs of nature, often taken from Codices such as ancient Aztecs, Mayans, or Incas, as well as temple carvings. In the town of Ayacucho, alpacas and sheep are raised specifically so the wool can be used to make this type of tapestry. Most often, the imagery seen in the tapestry has influence of the Incas along with Nazca people from earlier times.

You will also find tapestries depicting things such as flowers, birds, butterflies, and many other Andean cultural aspects. All of the sheep wool is handspun, and then naturally dyed with native vegetable, mineral, and animal dye. Unfortunately, with the growing gang violence and lack of proper food, women will work 15, 16, and 17 hours a day to create Ayacucho tapestries. Although the work is hard, they are courageous, creating true masterpieces.

Another common theme scene in Ayacucho tapestries is ancestral things and mythological creatures. Many times, you will find tapestries such as this made from a blend of 70% alpaca and 30% wool, which means durability, strength, and a beautiful piece to last for years. As you can imagine, this type of weaving over long hours provides the women and men with significant income. However, with violence looming, we see many people being forced from the weaving industry.

Regardless, for the Ayacucho tapestries that survive, they are amazingly beautiful and well made. With such vibrant colors and designs, the Ayacucho tapestry is in wide demand. The skill learned from ancestors continues being used today, creating some of the most amazing tapestries in all of South America.

When you hear “Arpilleras” tapestry, you need to understand that tapestries from Peru are named after the region in which they were produced. The name “Arpilleras” is actually from a Chilean tradition whereby rags were used to create small dolls. These dolls were then sewn together and sometimes, embroidered on large pieces of cloth. This interesting technique originated in Peru sometime around 1980. From there, it was adopted by shantytown inhabitants in the area around Lima.

Chilean women would put their sewing needles, thread, and rags to work, often used to spread the word about the missing, murdered, or tortured loved ones under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Today, there is a gallery at the Case Western Reserve University called the Mather Gallery where you can still see some of these amazing pieces. In fact, the exhibit has some 40 Arpilleras tapestries on display from private collections of Chilean women.

All Arpilleras tapestries are handcrafted. The rags used are usually collected by women or even donated by Chilean women. The colors and hues are often bright and bold, showing the woman’s optimism and strength. The designs also include blacked-out figures of missing family members, as mentioned, as well as soldiers. In addition, the women’s faces in the designs have strong lines yet simple stitches.

Typically, you will see a common denominator in the designs of Arpilleras tapestry such as images, names, and photographs. For example, it would be common to see a tapestry piece with the words, “Where are they” stitched on. Sadly, more than 10,000 people disappeared while Pinochet was in leadership. Women during this time were required to take refuge in the Vicariate of Solidarity that was organized by the Catholic church of Rome. The basements were dark and the rooms used for secret meetings of the sisters, mothers, daughters, and wives of the lost or murdered.

These sewn together cotton or wool cloth are designed with such amazing detail that you cannot help but feel impressed. The wall hanging tapestries are beautiful but all tell a unique and often sad story. The patchwork, tapestry, and embroidery style literally walks you through scenes of daily life associated with the Chilean woman, giving you much respect for her hardships.