Treasures from our travels
Over the course of our travels through Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and the American Southwest we have come across innumerable, handcrafted works of wearable art. This collection is a culmination of our story. From small villages selling beaded bracelets to legendary silver smiths passing down their craft from generation to generation, we have decided to share our discoveries from the road. Treasures from our travels.
Silver - Taxco, Mexico
Taxco, Mexico is a world renowned producer of silver of the highest quality. In the days before Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico, the indigenous people living in the area that is now Taxco were mining silver here to make intricate pieces designed as offerings to their gods, as well as ornate jewellery to adorn the necks, ears, wrists and ankles of their rulers, called Tlatoani.
Today, designs from Taxco are hand made by silversmiths whose families have been working with silver for generations. Local artisans create the highest quality, most intricate silver designs and are famous for their skills and creativity. Because each piece is hand made, you can be assured that your piece will be one of a kind.
Huichol Beadwork
Sierra Madres
Huichol Jewelry is handmade by the indigenous people of Mexico's Sierra Madre region, in the west of Mexico. Tiny beads are meticulously weaved into colourful patterns to create elaborate designs. Beaded jewelry is an important and symbolic element of Huichol attire. The colourful creations are used by both women and men, especially necklaces and bracelets. Huichol art and craftsmanship are recognized worldwide as a confluence of art, design, and culture.
Leather from LeÓn
The north of Mexico is famous for its quality leather goods. Leather artisans dye vegetable-tanned leather (a process used predominantly for soft leather goods like wallets, purses, belts, jackets, etc.) and use hand tools to create beautiful raised patterns (reliefs) on their products. As with many artisanal crafts, leather working skills are passed down through generations of leather smiths.
Mexican Textiles
Embroidery has a long history in Mexico. When Spanish conquistadores arrived in Mexico in 1491, they were amazed by the artistry of spinners, dyers, weavers and embroiderers. The tradition remains alive and well in Mexico today, where women adorn home-woven or store-bought cloth with an endless variety of designs and patterns. Hours of work are invested to create beautiful, colourful designs inspired by the culture of the region.
Pre-hispanic Tumbaga
In pre-hispanic times, Tumbaga often adorned the bodies of rulers throughout Central and South America. It was prized for its lustrous, intensely gold colour and its malleability, enabling artisans to work with ease to shape jewellery and statues, limited only by their imagination.
The term "Tumbaga" was used in pre-Columbian times from Mesoamerica to Peru and Chile as a generic term for any combination of gold and copper. As such, Tumbaga can be considered a "low karat" class of gold. As such, unlike plated gold pieces, the colour of Tumbaga is naturally occurring, and won't rub off over time. Like most gold alloys, tumbaga is versatile and can be cast, drawn, hammered, gilded, soldered, welded, plated, hardened, annealed, polished, engraved, embossed, and inlaid.
