Mayan Hands

Our very first vendor we wanted to include in this new series of spotlights is Mayan Hands, a Fair-Trade Nonprofit organization hailing from Guatemala. 

Story & Mission

Founded in 1989, the native co-founders Brenda and Fredy Rosenbaum had an initial vision of lifting their fellow Maya women up by building a marketplace for their beautiful weavings. Today that has now grown to encompass not only an expanded range of artisan craftsmanship, but that marketplace has reached out internationally, bringing traditional Mayan craft to anyone seeking to support Guatemalan arts. 

"We envision a world in which skilled women artisans are celebrated for their talents, receive sustainable, fair pay for their work, and have the financial stability needed to develop their potential and make decisions for their future."

How They Do It

Mayan Hands are able to keep tradition alive by tapping into the expertise that resides in remote villages in the Guatemalan highlands. Each has their own expertise surviving from ancient Mayan times, and many speak one or more Mayan languages. By bridging these lingual & cultural variations, Mayan Hands ensures that any of these weaver women that want to spread their art are given a voice and a spot at the table. This is how you are able to purchase products that are the fruit of any of 200+ Guatemalan women's labor.

They are able to connect with an international audience by not only having regional facilities in Guatemala City and Panajachel, but also maintaining a US office and warehouse located in Albany, NY. This team spanning international borders speak a combined 6 languages and have broadened the company's scope and allowed US retailers such as us to stock their wares. 

What They Create

Mayan Hands, due to the resistance of centuries of Mayan women, have many different artisan processes that these masters bring to their products. They produce many different varieties of textiles, pulling from deep libraries of patterns and designs, some specific to individual villages in the region. Their textile products can range from dense yet lightweight clothes to heavy tapestry textiles. These varied materials are utilized by these artisan women to create a wide range of products, from scarves and table clothes to bags and baskets. 

There are multiple techniques using different equipment, none more prevalent than the backstrap loom. Not more than a bundle of sticks, weavers are able to stretch thread between the sticks and their own bodies, wrapping it behind their back (hence the name). By maintaining proper and exact tension, this is all of the technology they need to create textiles of any size, from a washcloth to a tablecloth.