foyer tapestries

Thai artisan Keawpankanlaya perpetuates an ancient Thai weaving tradition with her beautiful wall hangings. Hand-woven from cotton, this tapestry features a black border and background brightened by rows of blue, orange, crimson, white, ocher and brown. The wall hanging arrives with a rain tree wood rod and cord for displaying on a wall.

Bold and imposing, an African mask centers this colorful wall hanging. K. Baka works in batik on cotton to create the bright tapestry. On the mask's forehead is an adinkra symbol known as akoban — "war horn" in the Twi language. "Akoban is used to sound a battle cry. It is a symbol of vigilance and wariness," the artisan explains.

"The muse for this composition is my daughter Pilar, who was two years-old at the time," confides Leoncio Tinoco with obvious pride. "Time has passed by, and that's why I chose to return to that tender time, always in my mind. Every time we'd say 'Give me five!' she would lift her little soft hands, offering her little palms."

Tinoco weaves this admirable composition on a traditional loom, in the unique style of San Pedro de las Cajas. He obtains some of the colors from natural dyes, so it is recommended to keep out of direct sunlight.

An African mask centers this cool green wall hanging. K. Baka works in batik on cotton to create the handsome tapestry. On the mask's forehead is an adinkra symbol known as gye nyame — "No one but God." It proclaims that God is supreme.

In this batik on cotton wall hanging, K. Baka considers family relations, using fish as an emotive allegory. He describes the work as "essentially about the wonder of a woman's protectiveness and love, and her natural endowment of resilience." Entitled Nye Ke Bi (the Fish and the Fry), Baka calls upon the natural gifts of the fish - its ability to handle intense pressure and evade danger - drawing a successful parallel to maternity in the terrestrial world. The artist's mercurial wit is evidenced by a superbly rendered combination of yellow, red, and black. The wall hanging features five tabs at the top for a tapestry rod (not included).

Due to the nature of batik, colors will vary slightly, making each piece an original work of art.

A glorious peony blooms amid flourishing foliage, each detail hand carved from suar wood. By Seji Taram, it crowns an exquisite tapestry hanger. It is designed to display a tapestry up to 37 inches wide.

Using the traditional Kashmiri aari, or chain stitch embroidery technique, artisans from the Indian region weave an homage to nature. Wool yarns on a cotton canvas recreate the idyllic scene of a flock of sky-blue birds on a blossoming tree, while crimson hues paint the background, making Amit Moza's tapestry a work of nature-inspired luxury.