Native Comalapa Clutch Bag
- Handwoven Guatemalan Típico Textiles Using Backstrap Loom Method
- Elegantly Combined with Full Grain Leather
- Unique Guatemalan Design From Comalapa Region
- Perfect For All Occasions
- Handy Wrist Strap
- Durable with Double Stitched Seams & Brooklyn-based YKK Zipper
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions
Length: 9 Inches
Height: 8.5 Inches
Width: 1.5 Inches
Materials
Full Grain Leather, Raw Canvas, Genuine Mayan, Textiles Durable YKK Zipper
USE & CARE
If needed, hand wash with a delicate soap and warm water.
PRODUCTION & DESIGN
This beautiful item is the stylish lady's Comalapa Clutch Bag. Perfect for all occasions that will go with every outfit, for casual day wear or night out with the girls. It has a intricate textile design, unique to the Guatemalan Region of Comalapa, a town rich in history. With ample space for your cash, phone and accessories, this Clutch Bag will the perfect addition to your wardrobe.
The Clutch Bag was born in the 1920's and known more commonly as the 'Pochette'. They were the height of fashion of that era. Sleek and sharp, the clutch bags were reflective of the women of the time. Still maintaining that image today, we at Hide & Drink wanted to add our own little touch to this great accessory with our handmade decorative exterior in the style of the Guatemalan traditional Mayan textile. As one of our most popular products, this is a must have for your favorite outfit.
Comalapa is a town just north west of the capital city of Guatemala, and was the scene of epic battles between the Mayan indigenous people and the colonial Spanish in the 16th century. Known as the "Florence of Guatemala", its community bears an attitude that allows weavers the freedom of expression to make each textile a unique personal work of art, and the town is also well known for its primitive, naïf paintings. Some of the most complex and beautiful textile designs come from this region, and this Comalapa Clutch Bag is no exception.
Our canvas comes from the highly respected supplier Lonas Segovia, the oldest canvas maker in Guatemala. The seams are sewn using bonded nylon thread with a burned and melted finish offering no loose ends during your travel.
The heavy-duty zipper is made by Japanese-founded and Brooklyn-based YKK, a zipper and hardware manufacturer widely respected in the worlds of fashion and accessories. The bottom features a heavier, double-leather overlay with double-stitched seams offering long lasting support. Seams are sewn using bonded nylon thread with a burned and melted finish offering no loose ends during your travel.
In Guatemala, the process of creating these amazing textiles is long and arduous, but with an inspiring outcome. Once the cotton is picked, and any remaining seeds have been removed, the cotton is spindled into a ball and is submerged into a container full of a steaming hot dye. A kaleidoscopic range of dyes are extracted from all sorts of plants, herbs and spices available in the region. Once dry, the dyed cotton is woven using a Backstrap loom. This part of the process requires time and patience. Practiced by many artisans throughout Guatemala and indigenous to the highlands for many generations, it's more of an art form rather than just a craft.
This weaving technique, according to Mayan mythology, originates with the Maya Goddess of fertility and procreation, Ixchel. Representing female empowerment, Ixchel passed on the knowledge of weaving to the first women, and has since been passed on from mother to daughter over generations. Backstrap weaving is carried out using a simple means of a set of parallel sticks that hold in place the threads running vertically. Horizontal threads that run parallel to the sticks are then cross-woven one by one using a shuttle to pass through the layers, often interweaving different colors for patterns and images.
The Backstrap Loom is easy to attach to any post, pillar or tree, and a strap is placed around the weaver's back, hence the name. This mobility allows the artwork to be created anywhere at anytime. This is especially important for these hardworking women, who are not just artists, but full-time mothers housewives, cooks and students.
This age-old technique is not only a way for such women to earn their bread, but a way to reflect their artistic expression and traditions unique only to them that have been passed down over generations.
