//This is a One-of-a-Kind artwork listed on our Artisan Direct section, brought to you straight from the weavers.//
Organic local cotton in natural white and heirloom brown variety "ixcaco" are handspun and handwoven on a backstrap loom to make this luscious wrap that is sure to keep you cozy and warm. If you know natural dyes, you know that such a vibrant red is difficult to achieve on cotton. Doña Marta has perfected this technique by dyeing ixcaco base with cochineal. What a luxury to use one of the most treasured and costly of dyes over an already-beautiful brown base!
This is a wide piece with soft, thick handspun ixcaco cotton for the majority of the warp. The weft is also handspun, with white cotton dyed in natural indigo grown and processed by the master's spinner's family.
The brown is the heirloom "ixcaco" (pronounced <ishkako>). This beautiful variety naturally yields less bolls than its white counterpart, and the fibers are also shorter. These factors make ixcaco a less desirable cotton tree to grow under normal conditions. But we think it is absolutely beautiful, and we think you will, too. Hand preparation of the cotton fiber has mostly become a lost tradition since industrial cotton mills came about - but this eco-conscious practice is seeing a resurgence in Guatemala. We are happy to partner with a local family at Lake Atitlán to bring you these gorgeous pieces.
While we love these panels as rebozos because of the warm texture from the handspun cotton, they also make excellent home decor for those looking for the natural and beautiful.
The cotton fiber will get softer with use - what a transformation to see after years of use. Note that the yarn was starched for weaving.
Please note that the modeled images are of a different color versions with similar measurements.
Material: Cotton, locally-grown organically. White and ixcaco varieties.
Care: Please wash by hand and line-dry or lay flat to dry.
