Guatamela textiles - suggestions for buying

#6 Any pics? And listen, if you are ever in New Mexico check out the Crownpoint rug auction about 2 1/2 boring hours west of Albuquerque. http://crownpointrugauction.com/auction-info.php Genuine Navajo and prices 1/3 of a gallery. Top weaving went $3,000 for a 5 by 7 wall hanger.

In Antigua, you'll find a few vendors inside the Choco Museum (courtyard). I suggest going to the weaving museum, also in Antigua. You'll get a basic understanding of how things are made and the regional differences in the artwork. I bought some garments over the past for myself. I pay what the pieces are worth to me. A few extra dollars are probably worth more to them then they are to me.

I recently visited Oaxaca, Mexico, where they make beautiful hand-dyed wool rugs. The people are poor, their skills are high, and while it is important to have an idea of how much bargaining is appropriate, I recommend, as have others, to treat the weavers fairly. Ask a few weavers the price. Consider the size of the weaving and the detail. More detail, or larger, takes more skill, material and time. I bargain hard when at US swap meets, but very little when buying directly from the traditional artist/weaver, whichever country I may be visiting. Your respect for her traditional skills will help her feed her family.

Right on. Here on lake Atitlan there is an organization called Maya Traditions that, unlike the bigger NGOs, just helps people market what they know how to make. That includes fabrics as well as herbs.

Rather than "welfare" for people here, let's support them in what they can do.

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