What type of souvenir purchaser are you? Are you a souvenir maximalist or a minimalist? I have considered myself to be both at varying times. During my trip to Peru, however, I traveled with someone who was very much in the maximalist camp and his example wore off on me! I left Peru with a lot Peruvian textiles which I have incorporated into the style of my living space.
Textiles from Mexico and Peru — Why Buy Locally Produced Textiles
I think that it is a good practice to be choosy about the types of souvenirs you buy. In my travels I have mostly stuck to textiles because textiles are a particular passion of mine and they are practical works of art produced by women. I love being able to support women in the world by purchasing textiles that have been produced with a lot of skill and expertise, handwoven or hand-embroidered. I want to affirm local artisans by buying and appreciating their art.
The traditional cultures around the Andes Mountains of Peru work closely with textiles because of their close association with llamas, alpacas and sheep. Families care for their livestock. The women of the Andes spin the wool of alpacas and sheep into yarn to create clothing and beautiful Peruvian textiles.
While visiting Puno, Peru and Lake Titicaca I bought the wall hanging for Isla Los Uros. Isla Los Uros is a man-made island on which some communities are still living traditionally. There are many islands in Lake Titicaca made in this way and Los Uros is the largest, or one of the largest. Buying textiles produced by women there is one way to support the community. While traveling I was able to talk with some women of Los Uros and they mentioned that the Pandemic was difficult partly because there were no tourists visiting and buying their textiles.
Handmade Fabrics from Cusco and Chinchero, Peru
One day walking through Cusco, Peru I met Margarita. She was from the pueblo Chinchero but told me she goes every Sunday to Cusco to sell her textiles. The other days she works growing food and tending to her home. I was admiring the camera straps that she was selling and she offered to show me how she makes them.
The woven designs in the Andes mountains of Peru incorporate shapes with meaning. Many designs contain animal shapes, or the shapes of people. Others hearken back to the Inca trinity–the serpent, the condor and the puma–life, death and the underworld.
It is always such an honor to meet and have a conversation with local people when I am traveling. After meeting Margarita I met her by chance again weeks later at a time when I felt desperately lonely in a country where I didn’t know anyone. She remembered me and sat with me for a few minutes. I bought this beautiful shaw/table runner from her that day.
Souvenirs can be links to the people we meet in our travels and to the culture of the place we visited. It is an honor to display and appreciate them in daily life when we come home.
Mexican and Peruvian Pottery
The bull is a common symbol in Peru–they are Toritos de Pucará. People in the Andes mountains put these bulls on their rooftops to bring good luck, prosperity and fertility to the family within. Notice the rooftop in the picture below from Ollantaytambo, Peru.
Peruvian Textiles from Ollantaytambo, Peru
The last piece that I would like to show are two table runners that I bought in Ollantaytambo, Peru. Each is a piece of cloth which has been hand-embroidered with a floral design. I transformed these table runners into a beautiful wall-hanging since I don’t have a table to adorn with them! I have also used them to decorate the end of my bed.
What is your travel style? How have you incorporated elements from cultures around the world into your home?
