The Phool Kee Bel lumbar pillow incorporates contemporary and traditional weaving from Guatemala, delicate handwoven silk surface design fabric with subtle batik patterns and a beautifully embroidered flower and vine motif on natural silk. The color palette is rich in greens and golds. This one-of-a-kind accent pillow will be a unique addition to any room in your home.

DETAILS:

• 15.5” x 24”

• Front cotton, silk

• Back – linen, in beige

• Zipper closure

• Polyester insert

• Fabric origins: India, Guatemala

THE STORY:

The Phool Kee Bel lumbar pillow radiates with uniqueness and deserves a close study as it features four textile techniques rich in tradition and culture. The turquoise and harvest gold handwoven fabric is from Guatemala and is a perfect example of the intricate technique of “jaspe.” During the seven years I lived in Guatemala, I developed a great appreciation for jaspe, the traditional technique for creating patterns 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. The beautiful gold organic design is repeated in perfect form.

A handwoven silk in harvest gold has a delicate surface design with subtle batik patterns worthy of a close look. The group that produced this fabric is a fair trade women’s development organization called Sasha based in Calcutta, India. I have had the opportunity to visit Sasha several times. Their work is beautifully done Preserving traditional hand embroidery is of great importance to Sasha. Sasha also made the beautifully embroidered flower and vine motif on natural raw silk. This piece definitely is the highlight of this pillow.

The fabric on the right was woven on a backstrap loom and is from the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Trama Textiles, located in the city Quetzaltenango, works with over 400 weavers in the surrounding area. Their mission is to create work for fair wages for the women of Guatemala, support our families and communities, and preserve and develop our cultural traditions by maintaining our textile arts and their histories. The complexity of this weaving shows the amazing talent and ability of the women to create beautiful textiles. The colors and pattern are very complementary to the other textiles used in this decorative pillow.