How do I care for my tapestry?

As with any work of art, direct sunlight will fade colors over time, especially for tapestries with natural dyes. We recommend hanging your tapestry in an area that avoids direct sun exposure to maintain vibrancy. To clean your woven tapestry, use a vacuum with an upholstery attachment or dry clean if necessary. Spot treatment can also be used with a gentle fabric cleaner, but we recommend testing it on a small area first. Alternatively, you may hand wash your tapestry using cold water, then hang it to dry in the shade. Some tapestries made from cotton fabric may be machine washed on cold.

What are the most common materials used to make tapestries?

When it comes to handcrafted traditional tapestries, the most common materials include wool, cotton, silk, and natural dyes. Certain regions incorporate unique materials or designs into their tapestries. In the Andes, alpaca fiber is commonly used. In India, one finds batik printed cotton. In Mexico and Central America sheep wool and natural cotton threads are frequently used. In Thailand, rich silk material is a feature of handmade tapestries.

What makes a tapestry eco-friendly?

To craft an eco-friendly tapestry, traditional artisans hold themselves to high standards, both in terms of materials and processes. Natural fibers, textiles, and dyes are derived from plants and trees. Some artisans even incorporate recycled or upcycled materials in their commitment to eco-friendly processes. Traditional art forms that are passed down through the generations are often painstakingly made by hand. They are naturally eco-friendly, as they avoid mass production, factory runoff, and industrial waste. This also means that each tapestry is uniquetruly one of a kind.

Are tapestries a good way to insulate a room?

When it comes to tapestries, function meets style! A handmade tapestry can be a great way to brighten up any living space while providing insulation against the cold. Materials like alpaca and sheep wool create natural warmth by trapping cool air inside the cloth, creating a more stable temperature within the room.

Are tapestries handmade?

While factory-produced tapestries are increasingly available to consumers, traditional, authentic tapestries are handmade by artisans who often learn the artform from older generations. Skilled makers from the Andes, India, Mexico and Thailand make use of foot-treadle or backstrap looms, where they interweave warp and weft threads and then tamp them down into a tight stitch. An artisan may finish a handmade tapestry by using a needle and thread or a sewing machine for final touches.

What are the most popular tapestry designs?

Traditional tapestries depict scenes and images which are drawn from the lives and natural environments of the artisans who craft them. Some include geometric designs, like the mandala, which is thought to represent wholeness and symmetry. Others make use of paisley, floral, or leafy patterns, particularly in tapestries from India. Central American tapestries may incorporate geometric motifs, animals, and people, while Mexican tapestries are often colorful with Greca patterns and designs. Thai artisans use symbols that are popular within Thai culture, religious characters, animal scenes, or depictions of human forms. Unique tapestries from the Andes are often vibrant with elaborate scenes that incorporate folklore, village life, and pastoral existence.

What are traditional methods of making tapestries?

The methods for making tapestries vary as widely as the regions from which they come. Because many traditional artisans adopt the methods of their ancestors, they have kept those ancient artforms alive and well. In the Andes, weavers often work on a wooden treadle loom in which they use foot pedals, called treadles, to control the weave of the tapestry. In Central America, the treadle loom and the backstrap loom are both integral to tapestry art. The backstrap loom is one of the oldest techniques which dates back thousands of years, in which one part of the loom is attached to the weaver and the other part is attached to a fixed object (historically, a tree). To create vibrant color, artisans embroider and dye their tapestries with natural plants and pigments. Around the world, weavers use tie-dye, Dabu (the application of wax or gum clay and resin to the cloth to create a diffuse color effect), Batik (an ancient method in which dye-resistant wax is applied to cloth to create select patterns of color), hand embroidery, and patchwork to create unique and diverse tapestry art.

Where did tapestries originate?

The tapestry is an ancient textile art form that dates back thousands of years to early civilizations in Peru, Egypt, and Thailand. In Peru, skilled weavers used colorful camelid fiber threads to create beautiful tapestries for ritualistic funeral mantles. Ancient Incas wove short tunics (Unku) to show importance and social status. Ancient Egyptians crafted shroud-like tapestries to bury their dead. Tapestries gained international prominence when Europeans began to decorate their castles and churches with elaborate textiles that depicted historical scenes, as well as religious messages. Today, skilled artisans preserve the ancient techniques of their ancestors. In Thailand, for example, silk weavers are renowned for techniques that have been used since the rule of the Angkor kings circa 800 A.D. In Central America, contemporary weavers pay homage to early Mayan artisans who used plants, shells, and even snails to color their first tapestries in the 15th century. In India, where some of the first tapestries were made and the textile industry became the base of their economy, the skills of generations past still live on in modern artisans.

Unique Cultural Tapestry Collection at NOVICA

Bestseller

Women's Conversation, 100% Wool Multi-Color Andean Trio Tapestry

Ulloa Family

(31)

$269.99 Wholesale

$269.99
Bestseller

Hummingbird Song, Beautiful Fair Trade Wool Tapestry

Cerapio Vallejo

(52)

$339.99 Wholesale

$339.99
The Ceremony in the Andes, Handloomed Traditional Andean Alpaca Blend Tapestry

Rosa Pariona

$519.99 Wholesale

$519.99
Women Picking Flowers, Floral Wool Tapestry Wall Hanging

Nilda Amaro Oscanoa

(13)

$217.99 Wholesale

$217.99
Bestseller

Tree of Happiness, Unique Tree of Life Bird Tapestry from Peru

Cerapio Vallejo

(52)

$589.99 Wholesale

$589.99
Tribal IV, Handwoven Andean Wool Blend Tapestry with Geometric Motifs

Cerapio Vallejo

(52)

$329.99 Wholesale

$329.99
Harmony with Nature, Indian-Made Traditional Crimson Wool Chain-Stitched Tapestry

Amit Moza

(44)

$139.99 Wholesale

$139.99
Birds in the Andes, Nature-Inspired Bird-Themed Handloomed Wool Tapestry

Eliazar Ochoa

(40)

$254.99 Wholesale

$254.99
Flight, Birds and Butterflies on Multicolor Handloomed Wool Tapestry

Efrain Curi

(22)

$269.99 Wholesale

$269.99
Tree of Joy, Bird-Themed Wool and Cotton Blend Tapestry from Peru

Cerapio Vallejo

(52)

$589.99 Wholesale

$589.99
Indigenous Girl in Spring, Alpaca Blend Hand Woven Tapestry of Indigenous Girl

Inka

(3)

$124.99 Wholesale

$124.99
Blue Mandala, Handwoven Wool Mandala Tapestry in Blue from Peru

Luis Leon

(12)

$289.99 Wholesale

$289.99
Chakana Seahorses, Seahorse Inca Chakana Cross-Themed Handwoven Wool Tapestry

Zosimo Laura

(45)

$189.99 Wholesale

$189.99
Andean Women, Handloomed Colorful Modern Andean Wool Tapestry from Peru

Zosimo Laura

(45)

$144.99 Wholesale

$144.99
Andean Mantle, Traditional Andean Wool and Cotton Tapestry Woven in Peru

Zosimo Laura

(45)

$187.99 Wholesale

$187.99
Spinning Yarn, Artisan Handwoven Wool Tapestry from the Andes

David Laura Zanabria

(20)

$174.99 Wholesale

$174.99
The Travelers, Handcrafted Cultural Wool Tapestry Wall Hanging

Nilda Amaro Oscanoa

(13)

$179.99 Wholesale

$179.99
Andean Owls, Wool Blend Tapestry of Andean Owls Hand-Woven in Peru

Zosimo Laura

(45)

$174.99 Wholesale

$174.99
Inca Mandala, Handwoven Wool Mandala Tapestry in Brown from Peru

Luis Leon

(12)

$289.99 Wholesale

$289.99
Inca Portal, Handwoven Geometric Wool Tapestry in Cool Shades from Peru

Luis Leon

(12)

$129.99 Wholesale

$129.99
Peace and World Unity, Handwoven Inspirational Chakana-Themed Wool Blend Tapestry

Fredy Huamán

(1)

$697.99 Wholesale

$697.99
Civilizations, Handwoven Geometric Traditional Wool and Cotton Tapestry

Cerapio Vallejo

(52)

$359.99 Wholesale

$359.99
Proud Young Mother, Wool tapestry

Francisco Huaynate Paucar

(9)

$287.99 Wholesale

$287.99
Andean Monkeys, Hand-Woven Wool Tapestry with Monkey Motifs From Peru

Zosimo Laura

(45)

$224.99 Wholesale

$224.99
The Gallant Rooster, Handwoven Traditional Rooster-Themed Fuchsia Wool Tapestry

David Laura Zanabria

(20)

$174.99 Wholesale

$174.99
Llama Herdsman, Llama Themed Wall Tapestry

Luis Leon

(12)

$187.99 Wholesale

$187.99
El Quipu, Artisan Crafted Alpaca Blend Tapestry from Peru

David Laura Zanabria

(20)

$389.99 Wholesale

$389.99
Coming back

Nazca, Wool tapestry

Zosimo Laura

(45)

$149.99 Wholesale

$149.99
Tribal II, Handwoven Geometric-Themed Andean Wool Blend Tapestry

Cerapio Vallejo

(52)

$659.99 Wholesale

$659.99
Andean Rhythm, Alpaca Wool Tapestry from Peru

Teofilo Choquecahua

(3)

$399.99 Wholesale

$399.99
Coming back

The Return, Hand Crafted Cultural Wool Tapestry of the Andes

Cardenas Brothers

(13)

$239.99 Wholesale

$239.99
Inca Trinity, Hand Loomed Alpaca Tapestry with Inca Theme

David Laura Zanabria

(20)

$389.99 Wholesale

$389.99
Coming back

Peruvian Coast, Wool tapestry

David Laura Zanabria

(20)

$214.99 Wholesale

$214.99
Sunset in the Andean Country, Handwoven Wool Tapestry of Andean Workers from Peru

Ulloa Family

(31)

$429.99 Wholesale

$429.99
Coming back

Andean Village, Colorful Handwoven Andean Village Scene Wool Wall Tapestry

Luis Leon

(12)

$349.99 Wholesale

$349.99
Coming back

Fruit of the Sea, Handwoven Multicolored Alpaca Blend Fish Tapestry from Peru

Inka

(3)

$147.99 Wholesale

$147.99

Featured Reviews

Wool tapestry, 'Tree of Happiness'

Terry

Mar 5, 2023

Surprised

Honestly, I was hesitant to get this tapestry because I was unsure if it would be one of a kind, or just a pattern that everyone else has. But after it arrived, I haven’t stopped looking at it! It is beautiful and one of a kind. I looked at the birds and the design and it brings great joy! I especially like the two tiers above the tree. I assume, this is the ethereal place we live in, and eventually go to. The colors are bright and inviting!!! Truly a masterpiece!

Colorful

Colorful Tapestry

Decorative Wall Hanging.

Nice And Soothing

Original

Peru Tapestry Wall Hanging

So Stunning

Textile Tapestry

Tribal Trees

Weaving

Wool tapestry, 'Hummingbird Song'

Naomi

Jan 9, 2018

Even more beautiful in person!

I received this tapestry today and I love it even more than I thought I would! Thank you, Cerapio Vallejo. You are very talented.

Decorative Wall Hanging.

Minimalist

My Favorite Tapestry Artist

Peaceful

Perfect Textile Tapestry

Wool tapestry, 'Flight'

Christina

May 19, 2017

Wool Tapestry: 'Flight'

Mr. Curi creates wonderful treasures. This has deep sea tones, and is full of life and movement. It is a great size for smaller apartments, or lengthwise above a fire place, or in an entry way. Highly recommended.

Butterfly Decor

Textile Tapestry

Wool Art

Multicolor Wall Decor

Wool Wall Decor

Inca Wall Decor

Hand Woven Wall Decor