Salcajá

Salcajá puts a different spin on Guatemalan textiles with its famous jaspe weavings. These are similar to the Asian ikat technique, and although the process is historically associated with Asia, it is assumed to have developed independently in Mesoamerica—and often likened to old-fashioned tie-dyeing. The artisan first colors strands of warp, the lengthwise yarns attached to a foot-operated treadle loom, in a resist-dyeing process, usually with hot wax that prevents exposure of some of the materials to the dye. The elaborate designs require painstaking, labor-intensive precision. You'll see the results at Salcajá's Tuesday market.