Stripes of happiness

Size: 135x205cm, 4.4x6.7ft

Weaver:  Juan Mendoza

Materials and methods: criollo sheep wool hand dyed with high quality colorfast aniline dyes in an exhautive bath. Handwoven on a Zapotec style loom of the 16th century adapted from European styles. Woven using a 7 threads per inch reed and wool rayon blend for warp.

Design, Patterns and Symbols. 

We weave the smile pattern to remind us of the sacred medicine that we carry within and that we can share with each other with the act of smiling and laughing together.  Juan Mendoza choose his favorite colors and blended them in big bold blocks of smile patterns to bring joy and harmony to a space. Every one of our rugs is created with artistry, based on ancient patterns and symbols from our Benzaa culture but with a personal touch from each of the weavers, from the colors they choose to the dimensions of the patterns. Juan created this pattern and wacked it out of the loom in record time to be able to buy a gift for his auntie who is having her birthday tomorrow, so in a way this rug shares that inner joy and happines that he carries within and that Juan is sharing with his relatives and with the lucky person that brings this rug into their home. In our cuture, markets are sacred because this is the way in which we connect with each other to exchange the gifts that we all carry and by exchanging not only products but this type of energy and connection we become part of a bigger organism that cares for each other.