Just last week the Hiptipico team ventured over to San Antonio Palopó, to visit our artisan partner, Maria. The word Palopó is a Maya Kaqchikel term used to describe "palo" a tree or branch and joined together with "poj" means Fig Tree.
While visiting San Antonio Palopó is one of the office favorites (because of the authentic and quaint feel of the village), we were most excited about placing a new order with Maria. Maria and her family eagerly await new customer and boutique orders from Hiptipico as the tiny village does not attract regular tourists. San Antonio truly embodies small-town Guatemala, with it's steep hills, tortillerias, and the widely worn traditional traje.
Another reason we love visiting Maria, is that her family is always quick to further demonstrate and describe their traditional weaving practices of the backstrap and pedal looms. These techniques have been perfected across generations and are used to create table runners, scarves and huipiles. After observing the intricate production of the traditional tocoyal head wraps, we were all able to choose and wrap our hair in the traditional beaded style!
Maria's artisanal home workshop is at the top of a rickety [and might I add precarious] ladder, but has sweeping, beautiful views of Lake Atitlan. It's here that the women enjoy balmy breezes while they create their traditional weavings and overlooking the volcanoes and lake below.
Here are some of the pics from our afternoon adventures! Enjoy ::
Shop our daytrip look: Neo Beaded Clutch; handmade leather Taco Cross Body bag; and Maria's sunny cords.
Click here to shop more of Maria's handmade items ☽
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