Crochet Artisans of Ethiopia
Nomadic women of Ethiopia handcraft each of these beautiful blankets. Synthetic yarns are used in these carefully crocheted pieces for warmth, softness, and ease of care. The women who create them take great pride in their work, and the sale of each piece provides food for them and their families. They are traded and bartered, rather than sold for cash.

The women of Ethiopia are multi-talented artisans. One woman began the craft on her own less than 10 years ago, learning simply by looking at pictures in a book. Few of the women in the group, if any, are able to read. She perfected her techniques and applied her own creative touches, adding a unique and original aspect to each piece. Passing the skills on to others has enabled the community to flourish and enhance their economic situation. Today, some 1400 families make the afghans you'll find on our site. Entirely handmade, a small afghan can take up to 20 hours to complete, with the larger design taking from 40 to 50 hours.

Though it is one of the world's poorest countries, with the majority of the population living in poverty, Ethiopia's artists all share a deep love and devotion for family, land, and nation. Located in northeastern Africa, Ethiopia is the oldest independent nation in Africa.
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Madagascar Artisans
In Madagascar, large family tombs are traditionally decorated with elaborate carvings to honor the dead. Today's woodcarving artisans carve exceptionally beautiful game pieces, boxes, masks, and other fine traditional pieces from hardwoods such as rosewood, ebony, bois blanc, and palissandre. These artisans normally reach only a very small tourist market with their goods. Through Worldstock, we're able to bring these products home to you!
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Daude
From Mozambique, Africa, Daude uses the natural texture of native woods to create the frames, boxes, and other decorative products he makes for Aid to Artisans. Because of the organic nature of his work, it often takes as long to select the wood as it does to make the product. Today his work is well known and readily available through leading retailers, such as ABC Carpet in New York, who purchased the Daude sandalwood collection.
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Freeborn Sigauke
Freeborn Sigauke learned the principles of potato printing in his native Zimbabwe. His sense of color, design, and attention to detail are impeccable. Freeborn employs traditional potato printing techniques, similar to wood block printing used in other parts of the world. He creates designs that he then carves onto flat sections of potato, adding pigments, and imprinting the beautiful fabrics you’ll find on our site. A time-consuming process, many of his creations use up to 900 different stamps per square yard.
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Textile Weavers
For centuries, weavers of Bangladesh have created beautiful fabrics known for intricate designs, wonderful texture, and quality workmanship. The production and sale of these fabrics provide the main source of income for most of these dedicated craftspeople. Their time-honored skills are passed from one generation to the next, with over a million people now practicing traditional handweaving throughout rural Bangladesh.

Unfortunately, competition from power looms, a scarcity of raw materials, and the floods of 1998, have forced many weavers out of their craft into day-labor jobs. To revive the handloom heritage and industry, the Grameen Bank development organization established a textiles project, Grameen Uddog, to provide weavers with custom-dyed yarn and other technical assistance.
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Chin Chuon

Chin Chuon
Woodcarving artisan Chin Chuon lost both of his legs to a landmine in 1974, then a young farmer in the Cambodian countryside. He survived the Khmer Rouge as a double amputee and waited over 20 years for a training opportunity that would lead to genuine self-sufficiency. That opportunity came in the form of a woodcarving course from Rehab Craft. For three months, the trainees studied full-time. For a year afterward they studied technical work and Khmer design history part-time, while supporting themselves with their new skills. Today, Chin Chuon and carvers like him are self-employed, working successfully through Rehab Craft’s business channels.

Chin Chuon excelled with his artistic talent and innate business sense, as well as positive leadership abilities. He quickly emerged as the informal spokesperson for the woodcarving cooperative that was formed among the course’s graduates. At age 48, Chin is the eldest member of the Rehab Craft community. He is also a natural teacher, often providing informal literacy tutoring to other members of the organization. The training and education that contributed to his craft have allowed Chin Chuon to become the primary support for his extended family, bringing them out of extreme poverty and economic hardship.

Silk Weavers
Handwoven Cambodian silk is created by skilled artisans who use from 2,500 to 2,800 threads in each yard of fabric. The fabric is dyed on traditional Ikat dyeing looms that are built to the exact width for each project. Silk thread is wrapped around the frame repeatedly, then tied tightly in bundles before the entire frame is immersed in a dye bath. The tied threads absorb no dye. This process is repeated for each color and can take even an experienced weaver as many as 10 days to complete. Cambodia is one of the few remaining countries where all silk is handwoven on traditional wooden looms. (Scarves take from one to three to create, and sarongs take anywhere from two to five days.)

Entire rural villages are devoted to this craft, a revered inter-generational skill. Each community specializes in its own design styles, which are recorded only in memory. Historically, silks are dipped in coconut milk for cleaning (rubbing with harsh detergents would damage the threads.) If there’s no coconut milk in your kitchen, we recommend dry cleaning to preserve the glowing colors of these fine fabrics. Each of these creations is a tribute to the dedicated craftspeople who continue this traditional art form, make use of their native resources, and contribute to the growth of their region’s economy.
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Trade plus Aid Enamel Artisans
In a rural area of China, 90 village artisans have learned traditional enameling skills, taught by a master craftsman trained in his youth by court masters of the Forbidden City.

Over half these artists have traveled from even more impoverished areas of central China to find work. Working through Trade plus Aid, they use traditional techniques that were used under Emperor Shee’s court. Each enamel miniature takes up to five days to complete and involves more than 80 intricate tasks in the process.

Creation, marketing, and sale of these products has provided notable improvements in the standard of living for these craftspeople. These miniatures create employment for the poor communities. Artisans make each hand-painted miniature with colorful designs and famous paintings, such as Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Picasso’s Child with the Dove. Each one is numbered and signed as a genuine fair-trade Trade plus Aid collectible.
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Bali Hand-painted Kite

Bali Hand-painted Kite Artisans
Disabled village artisans of Bali create these artistic yet functional kites entirely by hand. Using native blalu wood for the framework, they cover the kites with stretched pieces of rugged, whisper-thin tarpaulin nylon. Planting the blalu tree, a quick-growing resource, has helped local carvers protect their ecosystem and keep their materials costs to a minimum. The resourceful craftspeople even incorporate pieces of recycled surfboards in some frames.

Long ago, Balinese farmers made kites as a traditional means of celebrating their annual rice harvest. Initially the kite designs were very simple. Over time, the festival grew bigger--today it even draws tourists. These skilled artisans are now called upon to craft larger and more elaborate kites. The process typically takes one day for kites that are created by a singular artist. Some of the particularly large and intricate designs will be produced by craftspeople that each specialize in creating one part of the kite. Usually they’re made by a couple or a family. Often the men will take care of construction, while the women work on painting and some of the more creative labors. When Bali became a major tourist destination in the early 1980’s, the export of kites became a viable export commodity.

Since joining with Mitra Bali, a local non-profit organization that helps artisans overcome disabilities, these talented craftspeople have enjoyed a better standard of living. The crafts of Bali reach across the world, and many of them are quite well-known, but despite this worldwide recognition, many Indonesian artisans, both on the island of Bali and on other islands in the Indonesian chain, live in or near poverty. In addition to providing the artists with regular orders, Mitra Bali assists with on-going skills development and training in small business management. They recently opened a local showroom, where they ensure that everyone works in healthy conditions and receives a fair wage.

Handaru Baskoro
Handaru Baskoro has studied and produced batik for years. She now owns a small business in the culturally rich city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, where she focuses on the traditional Yogya-Solo classic batik. Her pieces are crafted from local pule wood, rather than fabric, a material selected for its rich color and strength. She then draws intricate motifs in hot, liquid wax and dye.

Gogo
This talented artisan and entrepreneur developed the design for the lovely bamboo wind chimes found on our site. Residing in a forested region of Bali’s interior, his inspiration came from the xylophone played by traditional Balinese musicians. Each of the bamboo lengths is carefully cut, not to the notes of a particular scale, but to the tune of Gogo’s own intuition. His recent success helps to create a valuable source of income in his rural setting.

I Ketut Ariawan
I Ketut Ariawan was born and raised in the Tenganan village of Bali. This ambitious artisan has taken up the challenge of organizing several other craftsmen, producing traditional woven baskets in order to attract business and orders from overseas. With continued international exposure, their specialized techniques can flourish, helping to provide steady income and raise the standard of living for residents in their community.

Palestinian Embroiderers

The Embroidery Project of the Friendship and Peace Society
This relief project was designed to help the poorest of women in the Hebron area of Palestine. Through their efforts, they’re able earn sufficient money to feed and educate their children.

Coordinator, Jihad Khaleel al Zuhoor, selects the women to work in the project on the basis of their need, as well as their skill in embroidery. Special consideration is given to the women who are the sole support of their families.

Paying school fees and medical bills is very difficult for these women, and since education is highly prized in Palestine, most women use their income for these purposes. One excellent embroiderer’s income allowed her to buy a refrigerator as well as send a child to university. Recent reports indicate that more than half the Palestinians will be living on $2 a day by the end of the year. As economic oppression fuels anger which fuels further conflict, helping the economy in this nation is very important.

The process of making the shawls and table runners involves two sets of artisans and takes days to complete. First the women in Salt, Jordan, in the Noor al Hussein Foundation project, weave the cloth using handlooms and traditional methods. This art has been revitalized by Queen Noor through her royal patronage, providing an otherwise unlikely income for young women of the Salt region. The shawls and table runners are then picked up by a transporter and delivered to Hebron where Jihad and her husband collect and distribute them to the embroiderers. Each beautiful, completed shawl or table runner is thus the work of two highly skilled artisans whose work reflects their cultural heritage.

The origins of the Friendship and Peace Society are found in seventeenth century England. Founder George Fox created a spiritual message that influenced a large part of the country, resulting in the formation of the Religious Society of Friends. Pursuing Peter’s teaching, Fox called for a spirit-filled Christianity that would not be oppressive of people on account of race, sex, or class. Today, the Society is involved in projects such as this, helping to liberate and advance the economic status of people in oppressive societies.
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Biswakarma Artisans of Palpa
Biswakarma copper artisans live in the small village of Palpa, in western Nepal. Unique and practical copper objects have been produced here for generations. Members of an ancient blacksmith caste, they handcraft each beautifully rustic piece over fire. Long used for storage, cooking, and measurement, these traditional creations are now exported, allowing artisans to earn a viable income while remaining in the village that is their home.

Tibetan Carpet Artisans
Skilled craftsmen of the Tibet Refugee Settlement create these wonderful, finely detailed rugs working through RUGMARK Foundation. An ethical trade and production group, the Foundation ensures that only adults participate in all phases of the carpet creation. While children live in the refugee settlement, they never participate in the labor processes.

Each beautiful, handcrafted rug features 100 knots per square inch. Often it takes several weeks to complete one rug. Color banding in the main field of the carpet reveals the hand-dyed yarn. Most pieces created by these inspiring artisans feature Tibetan Buddhist symbols and traditional design elements. Incorporating indigenous resources, the production of these unique creations offers opportunity for local artists and aids in the development of their economy.

Tsondu Tharchin

Tsondu Tharchin
Carpet Designer
Skilled rug artisan Tsondu Tharchin (pronounced Tsoon-doo Tar-chin) studied carpet design in Kathmandu after earning a sponsorship to finish high school. In the Tibetan Refugee settlements where he was raised, children are guaranteed an education only through the 8^th grade.

Although his post-high school scholarship funding evaporated in his 3^rd year of training—it's a 3-year program—Tsondu had learned enough about design to return to his home settlement in Pokhara, Nepal and begin designing handcrafted rugs for their “Carpet Handicraft Center.” Despite the fact that he was not awarded a diploma, his talent and dedication enable him to play a key role in his family and community. Drawing on the ancient craft of his ancestors, Tsondu's beautifully detailed and practical creations provide a reliable source of income that has assisted his people in funding a health clinic, primary school, kindergarten, boarding school for orphans, and senior citizens' home.
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Coconut Twig Craftspeople
Talented and resourceful, these skilled artisans, working with Hacienda Crafts--a community based company in a sparsely populated region of the Philippines--use native materials to create the unique yet practical coconut twig items you'll find on our site.

Most of the artisans are housewives, who would otherwise by unable to contribute monetarily to their homes and local economy. The production and sale of this merchandise dramatically improves their opportunities. Fishermen and farmers also contribute to the projects, weaving baskets in their off-seasons. All artists are able to work at home, with their organization supplying materials and patterns.

Since 1991, the craftspeople of Hacienda Crafts have woven traditional baskets with coconut twigs, previously considered a waste material that was used only for firewood.
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Boonsant Photikanond
Boonsant Photikanond is a highly skilled artisan and small business owner in his native Thailand. Having worked with Celadon ceramics for three decades now, he has also been running his own shop for the past 15 years. Photikanond saw an opportunity to enhance the creativity of his designs and market those creations abroad.

Chunthra Thungprasan
Taught exclusively by her parents, the talented Chunthra Thungprasan has been creating beautiful and practical pieces for two decades. She delights in creating new designs in mango wood, bamboo, and rattan. Most of Chunthra’s current customers are local villagers of Thailand, drawn to her unique and useful art. These wonderful pieces have now found an international market, allowing you to celebrate this special artisan’s creativity while contributing to the growth of her local economy.

Khun Aroon
Khun Aroon, a skilled carving artisan of Thailand, has spent many years growing his one-man operation into a small shop. Using attractive mango wood in his fine creations, he continues to design all of the objects sold from his shop, getting his inspiration from the beauty of natural forms. His opportunity for success, and his ability to contribute to the growth of Thailand’s economy, flourishes as his expertly crafted products reach customers overseas.

Sangchai Pondechudomkhun
Working in the beautiful medium of mango wood, Sangchai Pondechudomkhun, at the young age of 26, is becoming a well-known designer throughout Thailand. Participation in exhibitions and contests has helped bring about his early recognition, as has encouragement and support from his older brother. Now residing in Chang Mai, where creative trades are thriving, Sangchai continues to develop his skill and talent, devoting much of his energy to creating new and unique designs. Today, his special creations are sold both in Thailand and abroad.
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Celadon Ceramic Artisans
The celadon ceramic technique, practiced for generations in northern Vietnam, produces beautiful pieces that are hand created by families of skilled artisans. They create the unique celadon look by first placing their formed clay items into kilns, then, after the fires are started, the artisans cover each kiln in mud. After the fires burn out, the craftsmen remove the mud covering and transfer the still warm pieces to cooler temperatures where the unique crackling of the glaze begins.

Vietnamese Lacquerware Artisans
These expert artisans have passed on their time-honored techniques from generation to generation. Over the years, the intricate and time-consuming process of producing lacquerware has been perfected. As they sand each piece, apply dyes and layer after layer of rich lacquer, artists often spend several months completing just one piece. These wonderful creations are prized for their beauty and durability. Deep family ties and the success of export trade combine to enable children of these village artisans to carry on their timeless craft.
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Hungarian Ceramic Artisans

Hungarian Ceramic Artisans
Ceramic artisans in villages of Hungary’s southern great plain region do many things today much as they did a hundred years ago. Using the rich, red clay that their homeland is known for, they employ their talents and traditional techniques to produce high-quality ceramics. With entrepreneurial spirit, their small cooperatives seek out opportunities in overseas markets, helping to enhance their livelihoods and local economy.
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The Castillo Family
Skilled in the art form of Talavera-style ceramics, the Castillo family has been perfecting their quality craft for decades. In their hometown of Dolores Hidalgo in Guanajuato, Mexico, Talavera ceramics originated in colonial times. Initially influenced by Spanish design, the process and style eventually evolved to capture the colors and images indigenous to Mexico. Bright flowers, vibrant tones, and twirling lines are often found on these ceramics today, reflecting the influence of the people and the natural beauty of their country.

Edgar Arana Davalos
From his small studio in the town of Tonala (in the state of Jalisco, Mexico), artisan Edgar Arana Davalos creates brilliant glass mosaics. Strongly influenced by the talents of his parents, both artisans themselves, Edgar started his own business as a means of sustaining his family. His decorative pieces use a brilliant variety of colors that are designed to capture and reflect light. Each creation is made by cutting glass into tiny pieces, then adhering them to a larger glass container.

Efren Canteras
Efren Canteras, a talented glass-blowing artisan of Mexico, began his craft when only 15 years of age. Now in his late forties, Canteras has spent three decades mastering this beautiful and useful art. He’s also contributed to the development of the craft by teaching young artisans, some of whom he’s employed as assistants. Look on our site for his glass pitchers, hurricane lamps, and drinking glasses, each one a uniquely functional and luxurious work of art.

Lio Brothers
Artisans Gabriel and Rodolfo Lio started working with hand-blown glass when they were young boys. Observing their father in his workshop, they learned the secrets of his skill. Today, they continue creating traditional pieces, adding a contemporary touch with fine engraving. After forming a tumbler or vase from molten glass, it’s branded with the desired image, then slowly engraved using a small Pepita tool. Their careful process results in beautiful pieces for functional and decorative use.

Luis Martinez
At his workshop in Jalisco, artisan Luis Martinez creates handcrafted pewter pieces. Using techniques that date back to Mexico’s colonial times, each durable item is made by carefully pouring molten metal into a packed sand mold, guaranteeing its individual shape. Luis and business partner Jose Barbedillo started their own business in 1993. Their hard work has produced growth each year, and they’re now exporting to countries around the world.

Marco Antonio Paz Ornelas
Marco Antonio Paz Ornelas is considered one of the most skilled hand hammered copper artisans in Mexico. His craft has been passed down from a long line of talented metal artists. Marco’s family workshop in Santa Clara del Cobre has received many awards, as well as recognition throughout Mexico and abroad. His beautiful, decorative pieces are made using age-old techniques with fire, raw materials, and intricate, detailed hammering. You’ll find his trays, vases, and bowls among the unique items on our site.

Martin Camberos
Artisan Martin Camberos makes his home in the city of Guadalajara, in Jalisco, Mexico. Self-employed, he crafts home décor items using only indigenous woods and materials to support his local economy. After carving each piece, he treats the wood, polishes it, and adds a fine gloss of high-quality lacquer. Trained formally as an architect, Martin has applied his skills and design ideas to his craft, developing unique and popular items such as contemporary furniture and home accessories.

Ruiz Bazan Family
With a family business that has grown to include 25 members, the Ruiz Bazans are known for their skilled weaving techniques. Israel Ruiz Bazan, a native of Teotitlan del Valle in Oaxaca, Mexico, grew up watching his father practice the age-old traditions of rug weaving. As a young boy, he helped his father thread the distaff and looms. Today, he continues to pass those traditions and skills to the younger members of his growing family.

Everyone participates in washing of the wool, carding the thread, and coloring the fibers with natural dyes. Each piece is carefully designed to reflect the traditions of the Zapotec art. Many of these skilled craftspeople are also bilingual, speaking the indigenous Zapotec language.
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TerraPax Craftspeople
Working with TerraPax, skilled California artisans create these naturally simple and durable carrying bags. All materials produced by TerraPax are made without agrochemicals, coatings, treatments, or finishes. Their methods result in zero waste, with products so natural that they can be returned to the earth as compost.

The artisans of TerraPax and their communities have a cleaner, safer environment in which to work, their industrial ecology being one small step toward an earth-sustainable future. All bags are made of hemp or linen, with all fibers grown and woven by Hungarian artisans. After the advent of nylon in the late 1930's, the hemp industry almost died out in Eastern Europe. Demand fell significantly, and farmers along Hungary's Danube River had to substitute crops. The subsequent use of pesticides, defoliants, herbicides, and artificial fertilizers eventually began to take its toll on the river valley.

In 1990, TerraPax stepped in, creating a market for old-world fibers and fabrics, providing jobs, and commissioning hundreds of acres of land for the sustainable agriculture of hemp and linen. These materials do cost a little more, only because the traditional production methods require more labor. But the materials are not made from or with petrochemicals, so they're guaranteed not to contribute to air or water pollution, oil spills, nor do they tax the health of farmers, the craftspeople, and their communities. Because the materials are made simply, without coatings or treatments, the scrap from bags can either be made into hemp paper, or composted. Solid brass fittings are made from reclaimed brass, so durable that they'll last for lifetimes.

The Enterprising Kitchen
The Enterprising Kitchen (TEK) is a non-profit business created to provide employment and life-skills training to disadvantaged women who are working towards self-sufficiency and independence.

Within the context of a small business that produces the high-quality handmade soaps and gourmet grains you’ll find on our site, women receive hands-on, intensive assistance that includes paid employment, work and life skills training, and a variety of other support services. TEK’s operation of a micro-enterprise enables women to maximize their individual potential.

The difficult personal histories of these women, often including substance abuse and homelessness, could otherwise make them among the least likely to find work and achieve independence. The unique combination of a small business and experiential job training and life-skills development supports the efforts of chronically unemployed women toward permanent employment. Furthermore, the financial resources generated by product sales help to sustain and develop the program.

Mary Whitesides

Mary Whitesides
This talented and prolific designer resides in Park City, Utah. You’ll find several of her unique designs on our site, created in collaboration with expert craftsman, Tiberio Gonzales. An experienced world traveler, Ms. Whitesides has spent time amongst the people of South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, each of their cultures in some way influencing her original creations. Amongst her long and varied list of professional credits are design contracts with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and Aid to Artisans.

Navajo Artisan

Navajo Nation
Artisans of the Navajo Nation derive great inspiration from their culturally rich heritage. Their modern economy thrives on artistic creations such as pottery, baskets, woven blankets, and finely crafted silver jewelry. They also raise and sell sheep and goats, as well as some cattle and horses. Animal images are often featured in their artwork. With a large and growing population of almost 220,000 people, the Navajo are the second largest tribe in the U.S. Living primarily in northeastern Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, the tribe is comprised of over 50 clans.
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Romulo
Romulo, a talented carver and carpenter from Costa Rica, learned his trade in a small furniture factory where he worked for 16 years. Having a desire to express his creativity and develop new designs, he set off on his own. For the past 12 years he has consistently built up his small business. Romulo now employs one apprentice, to whom he is able to pass on his years of experience and fine woodworking skills.
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Solola Quilters

AMT Quilters
These wonderfully detailed patchwork quilts are handcrafted by La Asociacion Mujeres Tzutuiles, otherwise known as AMT. This cooperative of Mayan artisans, formed and operated by women in Solola, is located in the western highlands of Guatemala.

AMT is a democratically run crafts association created to improve the quality of life for impoverished families in a region of Guatemala that was hit hard during 30 years of civil conflict. A substantial portion of the proceeds received from the artist’s venture is used to support social service and environmental activity in Solola. Their funds have contributed greatly to clean water projects, food programs for mothers and children, and reforestation.
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Pierre Richard Desrosiers
Haitian metalworker Pierre Richard Desrosiers uses basic tools and time-tested techniques to create wonderful yet practical pieces of art. Working with Aid to Artisans, an international non-governmental organization created to assist artists in accessing new markets, he has developed complex items and new designs. His creations consistently perform well in trade shows throughout the United States.
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Nicaraguan Pine Basket Artisans
High on a beautiful pine-covered ridge in rural northern Nicaragua, women gather pine needles, an abundant natural resource. Back in the village, each woman meticulously weaves thousands of needles into a thick cord, which she coils to create the basket. These finely crafted pieces can take up to two weeks to complete. With the light aroma of pine, earth tones, and smooth shape, each basket is a very functional piece of art. Traditionally used for sewing materials or tortillas, many are created with attached lids and strong handles, adding to their versatility.
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Cidinha
Having worked in porcelain and glass in her hometown of Itajuba, Brazil, Cidinha eventually moved to San Paulo with her husband, where she began her own micro-enterprise. Using new techniques and natural, sinuous forms, Cidinha exhibits and sells, with the help of her 17-year-old daughter, her unique creations in national craft fairs. She enjoys experimenting with glass, combining forms and festive color, sometimes surprising even herself with the results.

Mires Brandao
Boasting a spectacular line of handcrafted jewelry, Mires Brandao has created several bold and unique pieces. This Brazilian artisan uses traditional metals and stones in her accessories, attracting attention and acclaim. Both fashionable and sophisticated, Brandao’s designs have garnered the recognition of discriminating customers across the globe.

Fernanda Lobianco
Once forced to abandon her studies as she struggled to support her children in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian artisan Fernanda Lobianco began working with decorative glass just a little more than three years ago. With the help and encouragement of her husband, she has opened a small shop outside Rio de Janeiro, where they produce and sell her beautiful, decorative glass items. Fernanda’s handcrafted glasswork is inspired by her love of nature, her community, and the vibrant culture of Brazil.

Molinari Family
The Molinari Family of Brazil creates breathtaking glass vases and works of functional art. Their amazing workmanship is evident in every piece. Antonio Carlos Molinari has been working with blown glass since his youth. Having grown up in Poços de Caldas, a town famous for its hot springs, natural beauty, and location atop an inactive volcano, he was able to develop his glass business by selling to tourists and local craft markets.
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Wasi Punku Artisans

Wasi Punku
Creator of fine alpaca wool sweaters, Wasi Punku (a Bolivian organization whose name means ‘Door of the House’) has been crafting unique and beautiful products for over three decades.

Founder, Juana Umboni Murguia began knitting sweaters in the mining center of Pulacayo, Bolivia, as a way to generate income while making use of a convenient resource -- warm and durable alpaca wool. In 1980, the Murguia family moved to Cochabamba and formed ‘Workshop Juanita,’ where their production was directed by larger export businesses. Roughly five years later, the children of Juana Umboni de Murguia relocated to the city of La Paz and worked as paid employees in workshops dedicated to the production of sweaters exclusively for exportation.

Soon thereafter, the group became a successful independent entity and, in 1998, they consolidated as the micro enterprise of Wasi Punku Artisan Textiles. Today the principle objective of the group is to produce and commercialize their products for export. More importantly, the sale of their creations provides a viable living for all the families involved. The group currently consists of 18 employees, 12 women and 6 men, all heads of their households. Their fine quality sweaters have received recognition throughout Europe, Japan, and Bolivia.
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Peruvian Weaving Artisans
For generations, rural families in the Andes Mountains of Peru have raised alpaca and sheep for their beautiful warm wool. These skilled artisans knit and weave fine blankets, sweaters, and coats from the natural fiber. The sale of their crafts provides an important source of income for this fragile economy, bringing new opportunity to improve living conditions, while supporting their ancient traditions.

Peruvian Ceramic Artists
In a sunny studio on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, proud artisans work to design and produce some of the ceramics available on our site. Sales of such products have provided valuable income for this community, generating new jobs, and empowering local residents to overcome obstacles that hinder their access to education, health care, and housing. Their beautiful products blend the flavor of traditional Peruvian ceramics with modern, functional use for your home.

Alejandro
While Alejandro’s own designs are contemporary, this skilled artisan employs the age-old techniques of Peruvian silversmiths to fashion each piece. The styles throughout his collection are based on pre-Columbian hieroglyphs as they appear in 2,000-year-old pottery and ancient weavings from the Andes. Specializing in the art of caste silver, the talented Alejandro has become one of Peru’s most respected young artisans.
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Cerapio Vallejos
This talented textile artisan of Peru is enamored with his centuries-old art, a passion handed down to him from his grandparents. From the core of Vallejos’ creativity emerges beautiful woven tapestries. Using handlooms and natural fibers, he produces exceptional pieces that reflect the traditions of the Peruvian highlands. In his own words, "We are inspired by our ancient Peruvian cultures, our beautiful snow-capped mountains and small villages, and the colorful plumage of the birds that soar above the Andean peaks. My family has been beside me at every moment, encouraging my creativity