Cotton shawl, 'Scarlet Windows' (Guatemala)

Woven by hand on a backstrap loom, this lovely shawl evokes windows in shades of rose and scarlet. Its colors are derived from the annatto plant. We can obtain many tonalities, weavers from the Community Association of Tzutujil Women Artisans explain. The dark red is taken from the first time we boil the leaves, and the pink from the fourth boiling. It can take up to three days to prepare the threads before the weaving begins.