The Tierra pillow, made from a vintage “huipil”, the traditional garment of Indigenous Guatemalan women and is rich in earth tone colors.  An embroidered square collar highlights the center of the pillow.  Complimentary borders are handwoven Indonesia ikat. This beautifully woven one-of-a-kind pillow will be a unique addition to any room.

DETAILS:

• 19” x 19” (48.2 cm x 48.2 cm)

• Front -  cotton

• Back -  suede, in chestnut

• Zipper closure

• Down feather pillow insert

• Fabric origins:  Guatemala, Indonesia

THE STORY:

Rich in earth tone colors this vintage huipil, the traditional blouse of indigenous women in Guatemala, is woven on a backstrap loom. Colorful rows of flowers and birds are woven in the fabric using a supplemental weft technique. In the center, is a hand embroidered square neck collar traditional to earlier huipils.  So special are these collars that sometimes they are reused on another huipil and never discarded. In the center, is another section of a vintage huipil with the traditional “randa” decorative stitching used to join two pieces of fabric. Turquoise glass beads were added for embellishment to the tie ends.  I purchased this huipil in a market in Panajachel on the shores of Lake Atitlan.  I believe this style was worn by women living in the Tactic area in Alta Verapaz.

The two borders are ikat fabric woven on the island of Sumba in Indonesia, which is known for their pictorial ikat patterns. I purchased many examples of Sumba textiles during my first trip to Indonesia in 1992.