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Traditional Maya Weaving
Sacred Ways is always looking for unique products with beauty and meaning. Recently at a trade show in San Francisco, we came across some lovely hand woven textile goods made in Guatemala. We were immediately struck by the quality, intricacy, and tradition found in these handmade table runners and pillow covers. And we were even more struck by the story of the women who create these lovely works of art, each of which is done in the tradition of their Mayan ancestors.
This group of women, known as the Santa Catarina-Nahuala Weavers, was started in 1989 to find better ways to sell their woven goods and support their families. The group consists of 28 K'íche Maya women, who, through their efforts, are able to earn a consistent income while working in their traditional environment, where they can practice their craft at home and take care of their children. Their distinct weaving style incorporates an intricate star and pillar motif, depicting the traditional symbols of heaven and earth derived from their region’s long and rich cultural heritage.
This type of weaving is done on a backstrap loom (Photo #1). Here our weaver, Ana, puts the different colored threads into her weaving (Photo #2). She uses a special pointed weaving stick to count out the elements of the pattern (Photo #3) and then carefully places the different colored threads exactly where they belong to form the design itself (Photo #4). This kind of weaving requires not only physical skill and dexterity, but also a high degree of mental acuity, as Ana has no design or sample in front of her to work from. All the elements of the pattern are counted out solely from memory. This particular type of weaving is so complex that it takes many years to master the more elaborate and rare designs.
Without losing the symbolism and tradition so important to their Mayan heritage, the Nahuala Weavers have added new color options to their weavings. Some of their works now include those rich earth tones that are chosen so often for contemporary interior decor. Sacred Ways Traditional Mayan Weaving pillow covers and table runners incorporate these new, softer colors.
Your purchase of these beautiful handmade Guatemalan products helps the artisans in several ways. First, the women receive fair payment for their work in accordance with the objectives of the Fair Trade Federation. Second, Sacred Ways donates a portion of the income we receive from sales of our Mayan Traditions line to The Maya Education Project, a scholarship fund that helps pay for the cost of education for Guatemalan children (Photo #5), including those of the women in the Nahuala Weavers group.
We hope you find these Mayan Weaving products as meaningful and unique as we do.
» For information on the Fair Trade Federation please click here
» For information on the Maya Education Project please click here
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