Peru Fair Trade ~ Wool Handwoven shoulder purse ~ Green

Handwoven Andean small handbag or purse - 100% wool (no dyes)
A one-of- a-kind piece of Traditional Andean Textiles from the Cusco region of Peru.  Handwoven and value added for a modern market with a zipper.

We are Threads of Peru, an organization created to connect indigenous Andean weavers of Peru with an online market; to educate the world on the unique beauty and cultural significance of Traditional Andean Textiles, and contribute to the survival of this art form and to the health and well-being of the people that sustain it. 

The tradition of Andean Textiles is a thread of ancient history, and should be valued accordingly. Yet these fine products struggle to compete in a market flooded with misinformation and cheap factory imitations. This weaving was purchased from the weaver at her fair market price. The proceeds from its sale are going to sustain the internet marketing of her products and to NGOs in the region who are working to sustain this ancient art form through capacitation workshops, as well as the health and well-being of these women and their communities. In these villages, the weavers are women, who wear skirts and traditional dress that is woven.

The weaving tradition is a great part of their daily lives, and from a young age girls will learn first to spin wool and then to weave. Weavings play an important part of courtship, marriage and childbirth as well as other ceremonies that mark important changes in people’s lives. These people speak Quechua, the language of the Incas. They are a shy people and will avert their eyes when visited by strangers. Most of the older women cannot speak Spanish, and even the younger women’s Spanish vocabulary is limited and stilted. With education only coming to some of these villages recently, the vast majority of these women are illiterate.

The women start families early (i.e. 14-18 years old), most commonly with men from neighboring villages. Exact statistics in regard to infant and child mortality are not available but a recent visit by doctors to Rumira Sondormayo (near Patacancha) showed that every child was suffering from malnutrition. Income that is directly passed to the women from the sale of their weaving can be highly beneficial for the whole community. The women are often much more family oriented and use the money for food, schooling and other important supplies within the household.

Our items are purchased fairly from the weavers - at their market price. These weavers don't want handouts, they just want a fair price for their craft.

Product Details

This piece belongs to our ‘value added range’ – as though it is handwoven, it has been made more practical for the modern world by adding a zip. It measures approximately 7 inches wide x 5 inches high. And when hanging measures approximately 1.5 feet from the top of the strap to the bottom of the bag. It is quite soft, and very durable; made of wool.

The threads are woven on simple back-strap looms.It is of high quality - hand made by an indigenous weaver of Peru. The weaving is not mechanically perfect and thus has subtle imperfections of colour and weave due to its hand made quality.

The handwoven weaving, from which the bag is made features colors made from plants of the Andean region – mainly a light/khaki green, and is decorated with Inca iconography.

The Weaver
The weaver's name is Agustina Puma Silva, and she is from the community of Urubamba. She is the teacher of the weaving capacitation workshops for the women we are accociated with in the communities of Rumira Sondormayo, Chaullacocha, and Chupani.

Refunds
All of our sales are final and can not be refunded, because of the nature of product. Our textiles are not mass produced or machine made. The textiles we purchase are hand woven and come from small families in extremely remote areas of the Andean regions of Peru. Each weaving is one of a kind with very subtle variations and imperfections, which is what makes it special. They are not mechanically made perfect items. However, if a product is badly damaged in shipping please return the weaving to us and we’ll provide a comparable substitute.

Extra Shipping Details
Note: Minimum delivery time from Peru is 10 days. Normal arrival time is between 14 and 21 days.

If you purchase more than one item, we can combine/reduce shipping costs. Please send message for exact cost (depends on weight).