Mayan culture is alive and well, not only in Yucatan but all around the world; a big part of it is of course because of their gastronomy being served to delight palates in countries far away from its origins, because of archeology and history loving people who admire this rich culture and because of the art shown in Mayan handcrafted textiles, garments, accessories, decor and bags. Mexican gifts are rich in meaning, color, culture and craftsmanship!
Mexican handcrafted bags from Yucatan are not only eye catching, they have a long history and family tradition behind it, they make for a wonderful and practical gift. By buying Mexican gifts online, you will be helping preserve an art form as well as supporting the community and dozens of artisans and their families.
The Yucatan rural communities do a beautiful job at keeping up with tradition working with a millenary natural material: henequen, an abundant plant in the area used for many means. It was called the Yucatan Green Gold in the 19th century. The process to make these bags is truly a sight to see! First, the indigenous artisans cut the henequen leaf and scrape it with a sharp stick until the fibers come out, that raw fiber is dyed with natural dye that comes from a tree, depending on the color wanted is the duration and times it will go through the dye. Once they the color is done, the fibers are held on one end by the artisans toes! and on the other end, they separate the fibers by groups of six, then they get tied on both ends to a loom and it’s ready to weave in the pattern of choice.
One end of the loom is tied to a tree and the other one to a belt worn by the artisan, and a candle is used to wax the fibers so that the wood of the loom slides easily. There is a sense of community in the process of making the bags, the craftmanship and team work by these amazing women is inspiring.
These Mexican handcraft bags take the artisans up to 3 whole days to make and will last you a lifetime!
