SKILLED ARTISAN WORK
Since ancient times, weaving has held an integral position in Mayan society. To this day their handmade textiles play a profound role in their lives. All of our products are made by Mayan women aged 30 to 60. The women have their own businesses, and work out of their homes in western Guatemala as they have always done.
Handmade goods previously sold at a local, Mayan market are now being distributed through out the world. The products and the production techniques utilized in their manufacture are essentially the same as centuries before. Only the market has radically changed. We are proud to offer these carefully crafted items that bespeak a rich heritage and a great skill and dedication.
BACKGROUND
The Maya of Guatemala are one of the last native people on earth whose ancient culture has not yet been completely assimilated into the western world. Over the last few decades the world has come to love Mayan crafts. While products and colors have been modified to meet the demands of the non-Mayan consumer, the Mayans still manufacture them as they have for centuries.
Our import business helps keep the Mayans gainfully employed doing what they have done for centuries, in their ancestral villages and in their native tongue, so they can go on being "Mayan" for centuries to come. We can help preserve their culture and traditions for future generations.
Best Sellers
One of our best selling items are worry dolls, and ancient tradition whereby you tell a worry doll your troubles, put it under your pillow, and by the time you wake up the next day, the doll has taken your troubles away.
All of the worry dolls in Guatemala come from 2 very remote villages high in the mountains. The villages are actually on the slopes of an extinct volcano.
This area still has limited roads and infrastructure, and the Mayans’ traditional lifestyle is very much maintained. All of products are made by families in their homes; there are no factories anywhere in the area. The Mayans greatly appreciate the orders we place with them, and this is a very important source of income for them.
We stock dozens of the types of jaspe (sometimes called Ikat) hand made cloth. This is the source cloth for many of our products. Rolls are 125 yards, but you can buy any length you like down to one yard. We can provide multiple identical colorfast rolls in whatever quantity your company needs.
Our company was founded in 1991, ironically not for business reasons, but because we enjoyed traveling in South America. In particular we loved Guatemala, its many different peoples, and wonderful products the Mayans make by hand.
We chose to sell wholesale in order to expose these beautiful items to as many people as possible. Our aim was to bring the charms of a colorful Mayan market to the world.
We are still a family business. Today the company supplies Mayan made cloth and bead items to businesses and individuals around the world.
Our company has been working with many of its suppliers for a long time. All items are produced by women aged 30 to 60, with a few exceptions such as the large rolls of cloth, which the men do. These women and men are skilled artisans and independent business people.
For larger projects, consider Guatemala as opposed to Asia. Guatemala offers many advantages, including faster production, quick shipping due to the location near the US, reliable quality, and exact attention to detail.