DETAILS:

The Atitlan accent pillow is rich with the colors of Guatemala and features three textile techniques that make this one-of-a-kind cotton pillow a focal point for any room in your home. Techniques used by the Mayan women weavers include traditional weaving on a floor loom, backstrap loom surface pattern weave and contemporary jaspe or ikat. Historically, Mayan weavings go back thousands of years, and in the 1500s, Spanish influence brought more complicated designs. This bright and decorative pillow will bring color and joy to any room in which it is placed.

• 20” x 20”

• Front – cotton

• Back – linen, in beige

• Zipper closure

• Down feather insert

• Fabric origin: Guatemala

THE STORY:

The Altitlan pillow is one of my favorite pillows. It takes me back to my years living in Guatemala, where I was submersed in its colorful and rich Mayan weaving history. The bright, geometrically-patterned handwoven fabrics were purchased at the textile market in Sololá on the shores of Lake Altitlan. The fabric on the left was woven on a floor loom and the middle fabric was woven on a backstrap loom. I found the intricate patterns achieved by the Mayan weavers on a backstrap loom absolutely amazing. Beautiful beyond words!

The rich purple and blue handwoven fabric is a perfect example of the intricate technique of “jaspe.” During my time in Guatemala, I developed a great appreciation for jaspe, the traditional technique for creating pattern in Guatemalan fabrics. It is known as “ikat” in other parts of the world. This fabric is from the area of Totonicipan, located in the Highlands of Guatemala. Driving through the Highlands, it was common to see men along the roadside laying out hundreds of yards of warp stretched on poles and binding threads in a resist-dye technique to create a pattern. This beautiful design has a very contemporary look and work so well with the other fabrics in this throw pillow.