Caoba may mean mahogany to Spanish-speaking nations, but to our shop visitors and on-line store customers it represents sunshine! Call in to 56, Raeburn Place, Edinburgh and whatever the weather outside, you’ll immediately feel happier. Perhaps not an actual cure for SAD, but certainly a respite from the Scottish weather.
A sunny Caoba on a rainy day
Our core Mexican range has recently been brightened by a delivery of glorious Guatemalan textiles, belts, bags and gifts.
Leather and woven belts
Beaded star key ring
Pouch-shaped purse
Like the majority of our goods we source our Guatemalan products from Fair Trade suppliers with much of the range coming from the north of Guatemala around Lake Atitlan (”The place where the rainbow gets its colours”), an area of astonishing natural beauty and still largely away from the tourist trail.
Mayan woven textiles date back at least two thousand years with an intricate story directly linked to the region’s economic and social history. Each piece of handiwork contains the story of the indigenous people as well as that of the artisan who made it. For more information on Guatemalan weavers try this excellent book: Traditional Weavers of Guatemala: Their Stories, Their Lives.
Traditional Weavers of Guatemala by Deborah Chandler and Teresa Cordon
The money collected from the sale of our plastic bags goes to the Maya Health Alliance an organisation committed to the health and well-being of the Mayan community in Guatemala.
Maya Health Alliance on Instagram