Shipibo Woman Stitching

March 03, 2010

The Medicine Hunter sent this new photograph of a Peruvian woman of the Shipibo Indian tribe weaving one of the magical patterns that they're known for. I've written about them before, here and here. This photograph is so lovely -- it really captures that universal sensation of peacefully stitching, concentrating while also dreaming of who knows what. The patterns of Shipibo embroidery are like a musical score, corresponding to the songs that the shamans sing in the ayahuasca ceremonies, which are said to be extraordinarily healing.

photo by Chris Kilham; used with permission.

Peru seems to be in the air these days. I've also been following the Mayu Hand-Knit Alpaca blog; Kate is a Chicago girl who went to the same high school that I did, as it turns out, and she's been working to help improve awareness of fair trade purchasing in Chicago. This is one of Mayu's handmade alpaca scarves:

Since I haven't been to Peru, I can only share these images from those who have. It seems that everyone who goes there falls in love with the country and the people--and the textiles.

Posted on March 03, 2010 in Labor and Fair Trade, South and Central America, Stitching, Textile Anthropology and Culture, Weaving | Permalink

Comments

Beautiful pictures !

Here's a little film about Shipibo pottery for you :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEVCvzIzPH8

Posted by: Hélène H | March 09, 2010 at 04:32 AM

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Rights and Attribution

Rights and Attributions/DO NOT PIN
All Rights Reserved All original words and images on this blog are the property of Elaine Marie Lipson, copyright 2007 - 2013, with all rights reserved. Please contact me for permission to reprint or republish anything on this site. I request that you DO NOT PIN from this site. It's also a professional courtesy to link back to this site if you paraphrase or quote me. Non-original work on this site is attributed as such.

10 Qualities of Slow Cloth, by Elaine Lipson

I defined Slow Cloth several years ago on this blog. Read the original post at http://lainie.typepad.com/redthread/2008/01/this-must-be-th-1.html. (Copyright Elaine Lipson 2007-2011; all rights reserved).
Joy
Slow Cloth has the possibility of joy in the process. In other words, the journey matters as much as the destination.
Contemplation
Slow Cloth offers the quality of meditation or contemplation in the process.
Skill
Slow Cloth involves skill and has the possibility of mastery.
Diversity
Slow Cloth acknowledges the rich diversity and multicultural history of textile art.
Teaching
Slow Cloth honors its teachers and lineage even in its most contemporary expressions.
Materials
Slow Cloth is thoughtful in its use of materials and respects their source.
Quality
Slow Cloth artists, designers, crafters and artisans want to make things that last and are well-made.
Beauty
It's in the eye of the beholder, yes, but it's in our nature to reach for beauty and create it where we can.
Community
Slow Cloth supports community by sharing knowledge and respecting relationships.
Expression
Slow Cloth is expressive of individuals and/or cultures. The human creative force is reflected and evident in the work.

Red Thread Studio

March 03, 2010