Chiapas Wool Pillow – Ivory

Our Block Print Pillow has been handmade by a family of master artisans in Rajasthan, India. Using a technique that has been passed down through multiple generations, each napkin is printed by hand using an ancient process. 

To begin, a master craftsperson carves the desired pattern -- or fragment of a pattern that will later be combined -- out of a solid piece of locally sourced wood. After the block is completed, a second artisan mixes natural dyes before he dips each block and presses it down onto a long strip of cloth. Designs that contain multiple colors or complex images often require several different blocks to complete the pattern. This art form requires an incredibly steady hand and a precise, repetitive movement to execute a master-level block print.

Every purchase directly supports our artisan partners in India, who handcraft each item to support their family business. 

Our Block Print Pillow has been handmade by a family of master artisans in Rajasthan, India. Using a technique that has been passed down through multiple generations, each napkin is printed by hand using an ancient process. 

To begin, a master craftsperson carves the desired pattern -- or fragment of a pattern that will later be combined -- out of a solid piece of locally sourced wood. After the block is completed, a second artisan mixes natural dyes before he dips each block and presses it down onto a long strip of cloth. Designs that contain multiple colors or complex images often require several different blocks to complete the pattern. This art form requires an incredibly steady hand and a precise, repetitive movement to execute a master-level block print.

Every purchase directly supports our artisan partners in India, who handcraft each item to support their family business. 

Our Block Print Pillow has been handmade by a family of master artisans in Rajasthan, India. Using a technique that has been passed down through multiple generations, each napkin is printed by hand using an ancient process. 

To begin, a master craftsperson carves the desired pattern -- or fragment of a pattern that will later be combined -- out of a solid piece of locally sourced wood. After the block is completed, a second artisan mixes natural dyes before he dips each block and presses it down onto a long strip of cloth. Designs that contain multiple colors or complex images often require several different blocks to complete the pattern. This art form requires an incredibly steady hand and a precise, repetitive movement to execute a master-level block print.

Every purchase directly supports our artisan partners in India, who handcraft each item to support their family business. 

Our Chiapas Pillow collection is made using woven wool textiles created by master artisans in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Each textile has been handwoven on a backstrap loom by a mother and adult daughter team that have been weaving for multiple generations. They learned to weave from their elders and tell us that “weaving and family are the two things that keep [them] going” and “the reason [they] are alive.”

Our artisan partners are masters at weaving on a backstrap loom. This type of loom gets its name from the way it is attached to the weaver’s body. At one end, the artisan ties the bottom of the loom around her lower back using a wide leather belt. On the other end of the loom, the weaver attaches it to a fixed and sturdy object such as a tree.

Our partners create each textile panel from scratch: They gather the wool, clean and card it by hand, and use a handheld drop spindle to spin the yarns into delicate threads. They then weave the wool on the backstrap loom. Each textile panel takes 8 to 10 days to produce and yields just three pillows. The design features the textile’s subtle and natural blend of undyed ivory and handspun grey wool. 

Our Chiapas Pillow is a perfect neutral and textural accent for a sofa, chair, or bed. Every purchase directly benefits our artisan partners in Chiapas, Mexico.