Short poncho Lupita - 100% sheep's wool, handmade in Chiapas, Mexico

The Tzotzil indigenous group belongs to the Maya tribe of Chiapas, Mexico and have been weaving for centuries. The towns of Chamula, Zinacantan and San Christobal de las Casas are vibrant hotspots of ancient traditions and enchanted magic.

Veronica
Veronica lives in Chamula and is the third generation to weave garments from 100%iger sheep's wool.
We discovered her small shop in a side street of the small but important village, far from the main tourist streams and approached it curiously.
Veronica looks at us shyly, but then kindly invites us into her house. We go to the dark, back area. It is sparsely furnished. Wool leftovers are scattered around the room, beautiful ponchos in different patterns and colors, woolen socks, waistcoats and scarves are hanging on the wall. We are allowed to sit down and their 3 small children eye us curiously. "Do you make all the clothes yourself?" I ask Veronica. "Yes, she says. Me and my 2 sisters". She shows me more pieces of her work and the loom that has been set up. When I tell her how beautiful I find her work, she smiles shyly. She lives alone with her children. Her husband has died. Life is not easy without him, but she enjoys her work and her family is always with her. She can't do arithmetic and only speaks broken Spanish, because the Tzotzil language is descended from the Maya and has nothing in common with Spanish.

Nevertheless, we understand each other. She tells us that weaving these beautiful pieces is a tradition and by doing so she not only supports the traditions of her tribe and village, but also enables a better life for her and her children in the community. We feel her authenticity and her tentative hope that we would purchase one of her pieces.

I look at Wallo and without further ado we decide to pick up all the ponchos she has in the hope that more people will appreciate her work and want to support her and her family by buying a real, 100%igen wool poncho. After all, winter is coming and it's getting cold.

The craft
Today, as they have for centuries, the people of Chiapas weave on a backstrap loom. It takes many days of work to complete a poncho and the know-how of the ancestors.
All this makes them unique, ethnic and uniquely beautiful pieces.

The flocks of sheep in Chiapas are not to be missed. The animals are part of life and are everywhere where fresh grass grows. They eat up the grass in the meadows around the villages just as much as they graze in front of the simple, clean houses of the residents. Humans and animals in friendly symbiosis. At least when it comes to the sheep in Chiapas.

Thankful
We are incredibly grateful that Veronica shared parts of her story with us and that we were able to visit her and her family at work. The Tzotzil of Chiapas are extremely shy and reluctant to be photographed, especially the people of Chamula. Nevertheless, I shyly ask if I can take a picture of her to show the people who would wear her ponchos on the other side of the world. She beams proudly and stands serious for a photo next to me.

With your purchase you not only appreciate and support the work of the Tzotzil women and their unique craftsmanship, you also bring the empowering energy of their culture into your home and thus unite worlds.