long scarf

Hand woven yarns in paprika and black combine to create a deep rust color and an appealing texture in this rayon scarf from Elena Ixtamer in Guatemala. The artisan weaves the fringed scarf on a traditional waist loom.

Subtle tone-on-tone yarns in blue-grey create an appealing texture in this rayon scarf from Elena Ixtamer in Guatemala. The artisan weaves the scarf by hand on a traditional waist loom.

Balinese artisan Dayu Menuhari presents a gorgeous batik scarf diligently crafted by hand. "We don't do any printing or even stamping," she says, "but it's all hand painted and while that makes our production take longer, our products are purely hand-made." Butterflies flit across the rayon scarf's awe-inspiring design in porcelain and geranium hues, which includes a traditional parang pattern at both ends of the accessory. A parang is type of knife, and the use of a parang motif was once reserved solely for Javanese royalty. Fringe on both ends completes the vibrantly-colored wrap scarf.

Warm shades of orange and purple bathe this scarf with timeless grace. Different teams of artisans from the K'amolon K'i K'ojonel association are involved in the creation of this bamboo rayon scarf, combining classic techniques to obtain that captivating pattern reminiscent of a sunset. Accented by fringes, the piece is also a testimony to Guatemala's artistry.

Creating fantastic shapes, patterns of royal blue and snow white decorate this magnificent shawl from Guatemala. Elena Ixtamer creates this shawl, applying the motifs using the shibori technique; each rayon thread is meticulously tie-dyed before the entire piece is woven by hand on a traditional loom. Elegant fringe work accents the ends of this shawl.

The intricate texture in this handsome kente cloth shawl is inspired by beach pebbles. Designed by a fisherman around 1898, its name means "pebbles of the shore are hard to crack." The tiny blocks of pattern represent the thoughts of that ancestral craftsman. Handcrafted by the Gobah Tengey-Seddoh Family, this extraordinary double weave textile is one of the most difficult patterns to achieve. These expert weavers use traditional looms and a cotton blend.

Each strip requires considerable effort, and the looms are worked with both hands and feet. Strips are generally three to four inches wide and seven to ten feet long, and the length of time it takes to complete one strip varies by the complexity of the chosen pattern. The simplest use mostly vertical, or warp patterns, and an experienced weaver can make several of those in one day. But patterns with nearly all weft (horizontal thread) patterns, where the warp design is hardly visible, can take up to four days to complete an individual strip. Each color has its own meanings in Asante culture. Green is fertility and new harvest, gold is royalty, black is strength, aging, and spirituality, while white is purity. The patterns themselves are carefully chosen symbols, which a master weaver develops and names, often to honor people, historical events, or proverbs.