This year the Guatemalan Crafts Sale will not be in-person, but rather online!
Click HERE to start shopping!
Now’s your chance to bring a kaleidoscope of color into your home with Tohono Chul’s annual Guatemalan Crafts Sale. For almost a decade Tohono Chul has hosted this trunk sale featuring an array of brilliant beaded jewelry, colorful shawls, handwoven textiles, contemporary purses, vests, table runners and embroidered square-cut blouses also known as traditional huipiles. Each year the items make their trek from small cottage villages in Guatemala to Tucson, bringing along with them vibrancy and a rich history. In addition to appreciating fine craftsmanship, these beautiful objects are fabricated using environmentally-friendly materials. Many of the items at the sale are constructed of recycled and repurpose materials, transforming them into new works of art for you and your home.
Whether it’s woven by hand, strung by hand, or sewn by hand, each item is unique and carries a story. What makes these goods even more special is knowing you’re supporting communities that weave tradition, art, and culture into ever fiber. These artisan communities work to pass their skills from generation to generation in an effort to preserve their artistic legacy. Each family exhibits their skills in different mediums such as handwoven textiles spun of natural fibers, handmade jewelry and beadwork, and hand-sewn and embroidered clothing. This vivid display of color is only once a year, so don’t miss the opportunity to add a little handwrought culture to your life.
Mayan women of Guatemala live in the mountain villages of their ancestors, weaving colorful textiles using traditional back-strap looms. The intricate patterns of their weavings are both ancient and modern, reflecting symbols of the pre-Columbian past and the spiritualism of the weaver, through patterns revealed in dreams.