THE ARTISANS WE WORK WITH:

Because handicrafts are an expression of the local culture, each piece carries with it part of its creator and its community. Precious Hands works closely with each of the artisans who creates our products both purchasing their handicrafts and lending a HELPING HAND in their communities.
In this section of our website (still under construction) we will introduce each of the artisans with whom we work through photos and a brief summary describing them and their communities.

NAME: JUAN SICAY CUMEZ

Town/Village: San Antonio Palopo, Solola, in Panajachel

Products: Cotton juggling balls, hammocks, rugs, bags and purses.                                                     

Workers: Employs 30 key persons, primarily women, who work with an additional 10 people each
in the local community.

Personal Information: Juan is 55 years old, and started working in handicrafts at the age of 18.
He works with his wife and 7 children (5 sons and 2 daughters). Juan began as a weaver but as he
grew his operation he hired on people from his local community as weavers and he now dedicates
more of his time to designing new products and overseeing production. His many years of experience
weaving has allowed him the opportunity to teach his craft to others and employ hundreds of people in
his community. Many of those he has taught have gone on to create and build their own businesses.
In his own words “teaching his craft and providing opportunities to so many others has been his greatest joy”.
Thank you Juan for that you do for others.

NAME: FRANCISCA PILO 

Town/Village: Solola near Panajachel                                    

Products : Cotton bracelets and juggling balls, and Beaded bracelets, necklaces, rings and key holders.

Workers: Aside from her own family Doña Francisca employs 10 women who work in her house and an additional 50, mainly indigenous women, who work in their own homes throughout the region. She provides them with designs and the raw materials.

Personal Information: Doña Francisca is 50 years old and started her own handicraft business at the age of 19. Together with her 5 sons, one daughter and 10 employees she runs her handicraft business out of her own home. She works with a large variety of over 100 different designs and colors of her own and is always willing to work with her clients to develop new designs based on their needs.

The quality of Doña Francisca’s hand crafted goods are known throughtout the region and all Guatemala as being the best you can get.

NAME: JERONIMA JUAREZ

Town/Village: San Pedro Las Huertas, approximately 2 miles from Antigua. 

Products : All types of Worry dolls.

Workers: Aside from her own family, Jerónima employs 15 women who work at her home and an additional 10 women, who work in their own homes in and around her village. She supplies them with the raw materials.

Personal Information: Jerónima is 47 years old and started working with handicrafts at the age of 19. She works out of her home with her 2 sons, 3 daughters and 15 women from her town. With over 30 years of experience she produces many designs of her own and is always willing to work with her clients to create new designs. She prides herself in having taught her craft and provided work for hundreds of young and elder women in her community.

The quality and workmanship of Jerónima’s intricate crafts is second to none.  

THE HISTORY OF GUATEMALAN HANDICRAFTS

Precious Hands works with Guatemalan artisans, primarily indigenous Mayan women, living in and around the towns of Chichicastenango, Panajachel, Chimaltenango and Tecpan. In most cases these women are organized into cooperatives each producing a given type of article such as jewelry, weaved articles, ceramics and woodwork. In addition Precious Hands works with independent artisans who work out of their homes.

Here we provide a general overview of the History and Tradition of Mayan Handicrafts followed by introductions to each of the Artisans We Work With.

HISTORY and TRADITION of MAYAN HANDICRAFTS:
According to most archeologists, socialists and historians the early North American people hailing from Mayan Indians who as early as 2,000 B.C. inhabited what is today the southern region of Mexico (Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas) and central America (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador). Contrary to popular belief, the Mayan civilization was not one unified empire, but rather, like the Greeks, were separated into twenty or so separate politically sovereign states sharing a common cultural background.

The Mayan people were highly civilized having developed a scientific form of time keeping and a complex alphabet that surpassed any other cultures at the time. The calendars developed by the Mayans were far more complicated than those we have today, and just as accurate. The remains of their magnificent temples constructed on the gigantic stepped pyramids adorned with beautiful detailed mural paintings are testament to their rich culture and religion.

The art of the Mayan people was composed of delineation and painting on paper and plaster, wood and stone carvings, clay, stucco and terra cotta models and figurines made from molds. The technical process of metal working was also highly developed but as the resources were scarce, these were primarily used as ornaments and were often used for trading.

The Mayans were prolific traders exchanging gold, cotton, cocoa, fish, honey, feathers, shells, jade and obsidian as well as a variety of different handicrafts such as textile weavings, jewelry, baskets, stonework, wrought iron, ceramic and woodwork. Cocoa beans were used as money. Belize was an important trading centre for the entire Mayan area. Some major trading centers were Moho Caye, Santa Rita, Ambergris Caye and Wild Cane Caye.

Weaving: According to Mayan mythology weaving was originally taught to Mayan women by the Moon Goddess, Ixchel, and has been handed down from mother to daughter for more than 3000 years. Today the Mayan women weave fabrics much the same way as their ancestors using the traditional “back-strap” looms. For a wonderful description of the important role weaving plays in Mayan history see: www.mayanhands.org/facts and www.coloresdelpueblo.org/MayanWeaving.

Today in addition to the important social and religious roles it plays in the lives of indigenous Guatemalan women, weaving contributes significantly to the economic well being of their house holds.

The Guatemalan women create hundreds of different fabric designs in an enormous variety of colors. Each design is unique to its village of origin and has a ceremonial symbolism inherited from Mayan ancestors. These fabrics are woven by hand and can often take many months to complete.
From these fabrics, the women make their unique costumes called Huipiles. Some villages have up to three different costumes: One for work and the others for ceremonies or special occasions.

Precious Hands carries a variety of different items that use these hand made weavings such as BAGS AND PURSES, BELTS, HAIR BANDS, KEY HOLDERS, SCARVES, WORRY DOLLS and even a few items of JEWELRY.

Jewelry: The Mayan people have a rich history of creating and trading beautiful jewelry and ornaments made from jade, gold, silver, copper and bronze.

Today this tradition lives on though the customers and the materials used have expanded. Today Guatemalan jewelry is sold world-wide and is now made of a wide range of materials from weaved natural and synthetic fibers to glass beads imported from the Czech Republic and China, to painted ceramic and natural seeds.

Precious Hands carries a large variety of hand made jewelry made from different materials; CERAMIC BEAD JEWELRY, FRIENDSHIP WEAVED BRACELETS, GLASS BEAD JEWELRY and NATURAL SEED JEWELRY.

Ceramic: The earliest known Mayan settlements were in Cuello. The people of Cuello were great pottery makers and as early as 2,000 B.C. had learned to make clay pots, hardened by fire, that were both useful and beautiful.

Today ceramic items are widely used in Guatemala both for their beauty and utility. Terracotta is used to water pitchers, pots, gavels, mixers, censers, griddles, candelabra, jewelry and toys. These pieces are usually baked once or dried in the sun. They are mostly in shades of red, however in Chinautla a different finishing process is used to produce white.

Mayólica (glazed, colored ceramic-ware) comes from early Spanish-Colonial times and is still manufactured in Antigua and the Highlands. Artisans make these by mixing clay and white sand with water and then molding the pieces, which are then baked, and finally enameled with animal or fruit-and-vegetable designs. Using this technique many items such as dishes, candelabra, glasses, vases and brightly colored jewelry are made.

Precious Hands carries a few different hand made ceramic items such as terracotta NATIVITY SCENES and some CERAMIC BEAD JEWELRY.

Baskets: Made from natural (palm, jarcia, wicker, zibaque, straw, bamboo) as well as synthetic fibers basket weaving is a craft handed down from the ancient Mayan. Baskets come in all sizes and shapes and are used to carry fruit and vegetables as well as room decorations and hats, mats and brooms.

Precious Hands carries only a few basket designs hand woven with synthetic fibers: BREAD BASKETS, SHOPPING BASKETS.

Stone: The Mayans constructed their magnificent pyramids and created sculptures from stone. For ornaments they worked with a variety of different semi precious stones most notably jade and obsidian. Jade was sacred to the ancient Mayans. In the 1970's, geologists discovered where the Mayans mined this precious stone in the Motogua Valley in Guatemala.
Today you can buy earrings, pendants, rings, and reproductions of Maya burial masks at prices available in the traditional shades of green or rarer blues, grays and pinks.

At this time Precious Hands does not carry stone items.

Wrought Iron: was introduced to Guatemala by the Spaniards, reaching its most elaborate expression in Antigua. Wrought ironworkers create beautiful colonial-style articles such as doorknockers, streetlights, lamps, censers, candlesticks, ornaments, beds, and other furniture.

Before the Spaniards Mayan people worked in silver. In Guatemala, many villages today still produce elaborate silverwork. In Antigua, stores sell a variety of high-quality earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings—all made by local artisans..

At this time Precious Hands does not carry wrought iron or silver items.

Wood: Guatemalan artisans working with wood produce furniture, chests, musical instruments, toys, kitchen utensils, religious images, masks, decorative wall hangings, etc.
Larger items such as handmade furniture such as benches, tables, doors, desks, window bars, dining room tables, and storage chests are made of pine, mahogany, and cedar. Some pieces (such as wardrobes) are finely hand carved, and there is a variety of smaller items such as coffee tables, hanging shelves, decorative mirror surrounds, etc.

Smaller items like hand carved religious figurines include Saints, Virgins, or Angels that are painted or left in their natural wood-colors:

All these and more are the specialty of Totonicapán, but other villages also have their own, distinctive, brightly colored designs.

Wooden masks (suitable as) are hand-carved in cedar or white pine by artisans from Highland towns such as Totonicapán, Chichicastenango, and Quiché using the Vaciado technique. Some masks are highly detailed and decorated with the features of mythical characters or animals or they may depict famous characters from the Spanish Conquest. The natives wear these masks during their Pre-Colombian, religious dance ceremonies.

Precious Hands carries only a few wood items: WOODEN ITEMS, KEY HOLDERS, WORRY DOLLS.

For more information about Guatemalan Artisans and their Handicrafts see the Guatemalan Exporters Association's (AGEXPORT) website: http://www.export.com.gt/Portal/Home.aspx?tabid=2020.