- Authentic: an original NOVICA fair trade product in association with National Geographic.
- Certified: comes with an official NOVICA Story Card certifying quality & authenticity.
- NOVICA works with Carmen Ruiz to craft this item.
- Exceptional Quality: crafted with care to be treasured as a keepsake for many years to come.
- Product info: 100% cotton
NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, works together with talented artisan designers around the world to produce stunning, keepsake treasures. Our mantra is to spread global happiness, so rest assured – we’ll do everything we possibly can to ensure you’re a happy customer.
About this item: Working on a traditional handloom, Carmen Ruiz weaves a beautiful shawl. The wide expanse of hot pink cotton culminates in wide borders with precise patterns in sunny yellow. A voluptuous hand tied macramé fringe completes this lovely wrap.
73.0″ L x 23.5″ W
- Dry clean only
- Hand-crafted item — color, size and/or motif may vary slightly
- Eco-Friendly: colored with organic dyes
About our Artist: Born in the weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle, I specialize in creating accessories on the traditional loom. I speak in Zapotec, and I speak very little Spanish. My husband Alberto is a Novica featured artist who specializes in Zapotec rugs and weaves. My childhood was a happy one, growing up with parents who specialize in the chicote (pedal) loom, which was introduced in Oaxaca by Spanish religious orders during colonial times. What is unique about this loom is that it is completely built out of wood. My parents taught me how to weave when I was 15 years old, and the first piece I worked on was a rebozo shawl, which I gave to my mom as a Mother’s Day gift. The fact that this is an art form that we have inherited from our ancestors made me decide to preserve it by continuing to weave. I work with virgin wool, which I dye with natural plants and seeds, such as indigo for blue, cochineal for red and orange hues, and a flower we call pericon for yellow. I also use the cempasúchitl flower and for black, I use the thorns of the huizache plant. I’ve been weaving since the 1980’s, and in 2002 I started my own workshop where I specialize in shawls and bedspreads. The most challenging aspect…