Guatemala, Multicolores/ Bartola Morales Tol, "Nahuales Signify Harmony" Hand-Hooked Rug

This hand-hooked work of art was designed and crafted by Bartola Morales Tol, member of the Patanatic rug-hooking group. Bartola lives in Patanatic, Sololá, a Kaqchiquel Maya community in the highlands of Guatemala.
The artists of Multicolores began learning the rug-hooking technique in 2011. Rug-hooking is a traditional folk art not native to Guatemala. In their design process, artists blend ancestral motifs drawn from backstrap weavings, inspiration from the natural world, and their own imagination. The result is contemporary works of textile art that evoke both their Maya heritage and their individual creative voice. This piece is unique and the design is entirely the result of the artist's creative vision.
This rug is made from recycled secondhand clothing, known in Guatemala as 'paca,' on hand-woven cotton base cloth, with a hand-stitched binding. This rug was made using 60-70 recycled garments, which are washed and cut into strips before being incorporated in the design. 
Bartola describes her inspiration for this design: "This design depicts fifteen nahuales, Mayan glyphs that symbolize the different elements in a balanced spiritual ecosystem. Nahuales are part of the Maya cosmovision, our ancestral understanding of the world. For me, nahuales remind me of my ancestors. The geometric designs recall our traje típico (Maya traditional dress) that we use and wear every day, and with which we identify ourselves. The colors make me think of all the many cycles earth: flowers blooming, leaves changing colors, weather changing from sunny to cloudy to stormy, lunar eclipses. The presence of all these different colors together reminds us of the moments of rain and the moments of sun, and nature’s gift of the beautiful rainbow."

MEASUREMENTS 91 cm x 152 cm

Recycled secondhand clothing, hand-woven cotton base cloth. Material is not dyed during the making process. Recycled materials retain their original color. It takes up to 7 weeks to make a rug like this. This rug is unique (only 1 exists)

Ready to dispatch 14 days after order is placed.