Hand-spun from natural wool, this purse carries the living legacy of the Chávez family, a weaving lineage rooted in the mountain valleys of Oaxaca for nearly 170 years.
The process begins with raw wool gathered in the village. The family washes and cards it by hand until it becomes soft, airy fiber. At her wooden malacate and spinning wheel, Ana turns the wool into strong, even thread. The gentle rhythm of the wheel — steady, practiced, and confident — fills their adobe courtyard with the sound of generations.
Color is drawn directly from the land they love:
• Cochineal (red) — a tiny insect from the prickly pear cactus that yields a brilliant crimson.
• Pericón / wild marigold (orange–yellow) — harvested from the hills and dried under the Oaxacan sun.
• Indigo (deep blue) — cultivated, fermented, and stirred in clay pots behind the family home.
Once the yarn is dyed, it returns to the hands of Ana, the master weaver. At the wooden pedal loom — worn smooth from nearly two centuries of use — she brings the design to life with a grace and precision that only years of experience can shape. Her husband Juan assists with preparing the loom and tensioning the threads, while their son Mario sits nearby, learning the craft by watching each movement with quiet admiration.
Line by line, Ana weaves ancestral Zapotec symbols that represent the beginning and end of life, honoring the sacred cycles their people have preserved for generations. The pattern becomes a double-sided, intricately detailed tapestry of culture and devotion.
Fully lined and finished with leather straps and an inside pocket, this purse is more than an accessory — it is the story of the Chávez family, carried forward one thread at a time.
Highly detailed pattern-double sided Purse is fully lined with leather straps and an inside pocket.
Size: 12” × 16”
Price: $100
Hand-spun from natural wool, this purse carries the living legacy of the Chávez family, a weaving lineage rooted in the mountain valleys of Oaxaca for nearly 170 years.
The process begins with raw wool gathered in the village. The family washes and cards it by hand until it becomes soft, airy fiber. At her wooden malacate and spinning wheel, Ana turns the wool into strong, even thread. The gentle rhythm of the wheel — steady, practiced, and confident — fills their adobe courtyard with the sound of generations.
Color is drawn directly from the land they love:
• Cochineal (red) — a tiny insect from the prickly pear cactus that yields a brilliant crimson.
• Pericón / wild marigold (orange–yellow) — harvested from the hills and dried under the Oaxacan sun.
• Indigo (deep blue) — cultivated, fermented, and stirred in clay pots behind the family home.
Once the yarn is dyed, it returns to the hands of Ana, the master weaver. At the wooden pedal loom — worn smooth from nearly two centuries of use — she brings the design to life with a grace and precision that only years of experience can shape. Her husband Juan assists with preparing the loom and tensioning the threads, while their son Mario sits nearby, learning the craft by watching each movement with quiet admiration.
Line by line, Ana weaves ancestral Zapotec symbols that represent the beginning and end of life, honoring the sacred cycles their people have preserved for generations. The pattern becomes a double-sided, intricately detailed tapestry of culture and devotion.
Fully lined and finished with leather straps and an inside pocket, this purse is more than an accessory — it is the story of the Chávez family, carried forward one thread at a time.
Highly detailed pattern-double sided Purse is fully lined with leather straps and an inside pocket.
Size: 12” × 16”
Price: $100
