patterned

Replicating the decorations on Maya funeral urns, Rhina Rehmann designs a wall hanging of admirable batik artistry. Sitting sideways, a man wearing an ornate headdress and golden accessories introduces his hands into a hole believed to connect him with the external world. The wall hanging is sewn of cotton dyed with natural indigo and is accentuated with liquid gold leaf details. Features a slit for rod insertion (not included).

Woven by hand on a backstrap loom, grey cotton trims a chic women's shoulder bag. Diamonds adorn the bag's sky blue body. Members of the Weaving Heart Women's Group create this beautiful handbag, which is lined in grey.

The Women United for Artisan Development are a group of artisans from Guatemala that collaborate to gain more fulfilling work and better economic circumstances. Working from home on the traditional telar de cintura, or backstrap loom, they hand-weave this cushion cover of cotton, featuring geometric motifs on the front in lapis, cerulean, and black that are inspired by Mayan designs. The back of the cover features a concealed zipper for inserting a cushion.

"Many of us at Women United for Artisan Development live in Qetzaltenango and we're known for our preference for bright colors, which we proudly share with you through this cushion cover," the Guatemalan artisans explain. They weave the cotton cushion cover in a rich indigo hue featuring a multicolor frieze of Maya inspiration. They border the square cover with cording and include a zipper closure on the back.

During the times when European explorers began arriving on the shores of ancient Latin America, Mayan cultures throughout the continent enjoyed a great prosperity of mercantile life. An ah ppolom, or "great merchant," would travel between cities in order to facilitate the transfer of goods. Accompanied by servants and warriors, an ah ppolom is depicted here in this cotton wall hanging designed by Rhina Rehmann. Featuring ivory-colored motifs against a body of Prussian blue, the patterns in the Salvadoran wall hanging are achieved using the batik method, where a wax resist is applied to the fabric before it is submerged in a vat of dye.