hand bags textiles leather and jewelry from guatemala

Hand and custom made products from Guatemala

Our online market sells and export the best hand made products of country to the world.

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502 Shopping

Guatemalan Textiles and Handicrafts Market

Welcome to 502 Shopping, where our goal is to let the whole world reach the best of the textiles and handicrafts from Guatemala. Our vision is to create a market place that allows all the local producers to focus on creating their products and be able to sell their: huipiles, cortes, handicrafts and hand made products online. Our mission is not only to let the world access the best textiles and handicrafts from Guatemala but we also understand the limitations of our fellow Guatemalans in rural areas and limits. So we want all of them to have web platform for e-commerce that allows them to sell online, ship and collect payments with no inconvenient, in a world where everything happens online we decided to create a online solution for, an honest and reliable source of high quality products for the final client. So if you are looking for the best textiles and handicrafts from this beautiful country you are at the right place.

Guatemala’s craftsmanship are unique and recognized worldwide, since all are unique, original and have achieved a position in many countries for their quality and innovation of desire, and have succeeded in attracting many design, worship, dedication and cultural contribution have achieved Guatemalan craftsmanship to be recognized internationally.

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Guatemalan Textiles Online Shop & Home of the Huipil

The colors, the ancient myths, the beliefs and the way of weaving are acquired from the Mayan culture, the meaning of their sayings has been lost, although the struggle continues to rescue the symbolism of culture through the words, is recognizable in the form of geometric patterns such as animals and natural colors that reflect the sense of the order and love for nature that still exist.

Throughout time, the Mayan costume, as shown in the artifacts that today stand out in the headdress of elements such as the mask of gods representing different animals, each was important for the Mayas, as well as the feathers of the quetzal, which is the national bird of Guatemala.

A textile is produced as the elaboration of each geometric element until arriving at a drawing that determines on the one hand a lot what the craftsman is. The survival of the textile tradition of Guatemala is linked to the history of the country. it’s culture and Mayan civilization, which make the origin of it’s people visible to the naked eye. The color of the threads has also undergone many changes , before they were each dyed with animal, vegetable or mineral origin, now most artisans use chemical dyes that are very similar to the colors of the colors.

The huipiles come in a horizontal loom, belts, hair bands are made in small looms, skirts and coats come in a vertical loom. The places where they are manufactured are Totonicapan, Quetzaltenango and San Marco. The colors are printed on the fabrics with silver stamps, there are also stamps with a phrase. The most common method to weave is horizontal, it’s used by women in their homes.

502 shopping also offers special prices for re-sellers or retail stores in foreign countries and we will assist you with all the process of product selection, shipping and handling. For further questions please contact us, one of our representatives will be more than happy to assist you.

Guatemalan Handicrafts

The Guatemalan handicrafts started to be produced in prehispanic times, with time new techniques and designs of indigenous and european origin, arises from the search of the human being to make his life more comfortable,their elaboration today reflects the historical and cultural wealth of the country. The main characteristics of the crafts are: they are made by hand, the product is unique, the elaboration of the crafts takes time, is made with materials form the area, they are very colorful, they use natural materials. Handicrafts in Guatemala represent a great support and help to the communities of the country, such as the Mayan communities, which are dedicated to the production of handbags, cortes, huipiles, etc. The crafts of Guatemala represent the richness and culture of the country of which we can highlight the following: Cotton fabrics: the tradition cotton fabrics consist of huipiles, cuts, tablecloths and other products that are made with these fibers, are manufactured in the municipality of San Juan Sacatepéquez, Chuarrancho, San Pedro Ayampuc, San Pedro Sacatepéquez, Mixco, San Miguel Petapa and Amatitlán.

Traditional ceramics: This is made with prehispanic technique as they are, manual preparation and burned outdoors, comales, beaters are produced in the municipalities of San Pedro Sacatepequez.

Cereria: different types of candles are made, candles, using sebum and paraffin in different municipalities such as San Juan Sacatepequez, San Pedro, Ayampuc, Chinautla, San Jose Pinula and Palencia. Metal Products: traditional wrought iron products are made as posts and balconies in the municipalities of San Juan Sacatepéquez, San Pedro Sacatepéquez, Mixco, Amatitlan and Villa Canales.

Building materials: among these crafts are made of clay tiles, bricks in the municipalities of San Juan Sacatepéquez, San Juan Raimundo, San Pedro Ayampuc, San Jose del Golfo, Mixco, Palencia, Villa Canales, Fraijanes and San Jose Pinula. Pyrotechnics: Rockets, toritos, castillos are used in family, religious popular and civic celebrations, they are made in the municipalities of San Juan Sacatepéquez, San Raimundo, Mixco, Villa Nueva and Fraijanes.

The handicrafts have a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft, and applies to a wide range of creative and design activities that are related to making things with one’s hands and skill, including work with textiles, moldable and rigid materials, paper, plant fibers, etc. Many handcrafters use natural, even entirely indigenous, materials while others may prefer modern, non-traditional materials, and even upcycle industrial materials. The individual artisanship of a handcrafted item is the paramount criterion, those made by mass production or machines are not handicraft goods.

Handicrafts are traditional culture expressions, they are made by hand, they are divided into popular crafts, service crafts and popular crafts: those that come from ancestral times, retain their design, or that identify the place of origin of the product as the indigenous language. Service Crafts, they do not produce any good, they are used to fill a need. For many people, craftsmanship is a middle ground between design and art. For others it is a continuation of the traditional trades, in which the aesthetic has a prominent role but the practical sense of the elaborated object is also important. There are also some artisans who dedicate themselves to the so-called “traditional crafts“, but they are becoming fewer.

Market From Antigua Guatemala

Antigua’s market chaotic, colorful and always busy, many people consider the Artisan Market to be the main tourist market. Antigua Guatemala, one out of many artisan markets offers local handicraft products such as handbags, jewelry, sculptures or paintings. Full of colorful textiles, traditional blankets, wooden masks, jade jewelry and woven purses, it’s an incredibly photogenic place to wander around.Textiles Market in Antigua is a great place to shop. There is an indoor section that is dedicated to just Mayan handiwork and is relaxed setting and
all under one roof. These are the most popular crafts and textiles markets in Antigua Guatemala:

Nim Po’t: This brilliant, sprawling depot boasts a huge collection of Maya clothing, as well as hundreds of masks, wood carvings, kites, refrigerator magnets, assorted Maximón figurines and local coffee and chocolate.
Mercado del Carmen: Next to the ruins of the Iglesia El Carmen, this excellent market is a good place to browse for textiles, pottery and jade, particularly on weekends.
La Casa del Jade: More than just a jewelry shop, the Casa has a small museum displaying dozens of pre-Hispanic jade pieces and an open workshop where you can admire the work of contemporary craftspeople.
Maya Arte Nativo: This long and narrow shop has a superior selection of bright local handicrafts and home decorations, from flocks of miniature birds to hang from Christmas trees to painted ceramics, mirror frames and quirky sculptor.
Mercado de Artesanías: Masses of Guatemalan handicrafts fill the stalls of this building at the west end of town just below the main market.
El Reino del Jade: This shop near the Santa Catalina arch specializes in designer jewelry featuring jade and other gems.

Guatemala is recognized worldwide for its colorful fabrics of great quality and richness. For its elaboration, old techniques are still used, such as the waist loom, foot loom or pedal loom, embroidered applications and crochet knit products. Nowadays, from the handicraft textiles, also articles for the decoration of the home or, even, articles related to the technology are elaborated. Guatemala is also a country that is characterized by beautiful works of art, many of them are found in craft markets or street vendors such as Calle del Arco, located in Antigua Guatemala. These crafts are made by hand and almost do not use machinery. The different Mayan communities, distributed in the mountains of the country are dedicated to the production of textile crafts, as they are: traditional huipiles and cuts, bags, backpacks, blankets, bedspreads, tablecloths, shawls, scarves, masks, stones, carved wood , among others. The artistic activity that most attracts attention in Guatemala, is the manufacture of textiles, it stands out for the quality in designs and fabrics.

The production of handicrafts in Guatemala is a tradition that is transmitted from generation to generation and constitutes one of the main pillars of the economy of many rural communities, contributing to the economic and social development of its inhabitants. Guatemalan crafts have been incorporated into the gift industry and the decoration and are available in major international stores. The cultural tradition provides a touch of originality to the craftsmanship of the country, guaranteeing the quality of its elaboration in the knowledge transmitted from generation to generation for many years.

Antigua’s handicrafts market is lined with several dozen stalls where you can find a variety of artsy souvenirs. Be prepared to know about textiles and handicrafts everything from handmade rugs to silver jewelry and masks.

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The textile and craft production process

It is a manual process where the use of advanced technology is not necessary, but the raw materials, machines and tools are used. They are divided into several types: pottery, carpentry, blacksmithing, embroidery.

Pottery: through the use of mud or clay as raw material, consists of the water product, sometimes mixed with ground bone and others with sawdust to prevent the piece from becoming cracked or deformed. In the case of vessels, pitchers, pots, vases and bowls with globular, cylindrical and conical shapes, with handles or decorative protuberances, it is first formed in a bulletin that is on a board and flattened, modeling the base of the foot, The walls are raised through the preparation of sausages or rolls of pasta that are rolled from the base, then it is inside and outside with the fingers and the piece of metal. Different types of small pieces are made by direct operation mode from a pasta bun and cooking is done on a grid inside an oven in which the pieces that have previously been oreaded are located. Among the pieces that are currently displayed and in which they are found, they are published, maintained, there are anthropomorphic motifs, such as statues of Indian or Indian, masks of caciques and hands, with zoomorphic figures: owls, tatú-mulita, tattoo-ball, quirquincho ball, anteater, parrots, pigeons and other objects, such as: turkeys, plates, vases, ashtrays, incense holder and necklaces

Carpentry: It is one of the oldest human industry activities that exist, so in each culture and region we will find different ways and tools to work this material. The purpose of carpentry is to modify the characteristics of wood to build useful objects. The hammer, the drill, the gouge, the lathe, the sander, the saw and the saw are some of the tools that are currently used in carpentry. In addition, accessories such as nails, screws, glues and varnishes are used, among many others

Embroidery: Cotton wool and industrial wool are used, which are acquired in shops in the city. Although the spinning process is no longer carried out, some of the weavers with whom we work know all the steps for the preparation, first of the manufacture, then the washing of the same and if the natural colors of the fiber are used, the dyeing with industrial anilines. Finally a ball is made and the raw material is ready to make the fabric. The embroidery and the wooden frames are classified in the upper and lower ends the lines of the word are shown. In the case of the means of communication of the middle and the middle of the position for weaving is squatting in front of it and the frame of the smaller dimensions, is on the skirt, where the strands intertwine. For braiding, the homemade tool is used, with a wooden rod or with guasuncho teeth. The making of wooden bows and arrows is also part of this production, the use of felling wood and anteater leather, which is found in the Chaco, so the artisans travel to their regions, to collect these materials, process them and move them to rosary. For the final details of these objects are also used: inks and pieces of leather that are acquired by direct purchase in shops in the city.

Blacksmithing: The iron is a malleable and ductile metal of great tenacity that, besides being part of essential substances for life, is the most used material at the industrial level. The smithy is linked to the artisan work carried out by the person in charge of forging it. The iron is subjected to a source of heat so that, upon reaching the necessary temperature, it can be molded by the acquired malleability. With hammers and other instruments, the blacksmith expert is giving the metal the shape he desires.

Guatemala is a country that has an endless number of very colorful and impressive handicrafts, highlighting among them the fabrics made in handcrafted looms. The canvases and embroidery of vibrant colors are used to make other crafts, such as purses, backpacks, shoes, tablecloths and clothes. These colorful textiles are the most genuine expression of the communities of the western highlands of this Central American country.

Common handicrafts

Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including art ware, tile, figurines, sculpture, and tableware. Ceramic art is one of the arts, particularly the visual arts. Of these, it is one of the plastic arts. While some ceramics are considered fine art, as pottery or sculpture, some are considered to be decorative, industrial or applied art objects. Ceramics may also be considered artefacts in archaeology.
Jewellery design is the art or profession of designing and creating jewellery. This is one of civilization’s earliest forms of decoration, dating back at least seven thousand years to the oldest known human societies in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The art has taken many forms throughout the centuries, from the simple beadwork of ancient times to the sophisticated metalworking and gem cutting known in the modern day
Cross-stitch is a form of sewing and a popular form of counted-thread embroidery in which X-shaped stitches in a tiled, raster-like pattern are used to form a picture. The stitcher counts the threads on a piece of evenweave fabric in each direction so that the stitches are of uniform size and appearance.
wood burning is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker.
Bagh Print is a traditional hand block print with natural colours, an Indian Handicraft practised in Bagh, Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh, India. Its name is derived from the village Bagh on the banks of the Bagh River. Bagh print fabric with replicated geometric and floral compositions with vegetable colours of red and black over a white background is a popular Textile printing product

: Ceramic art

: Jewelry design

: Copper arts

: cross-stitch

: Embroidery

: Carpentry

: Wood burning

: Bagh prints

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