Beaded cat brooch

Glass bead exterior; plastic filling

Spot clean

Handmade and Fairly Traded

Our beaded ornaments and brooches are made by a womens co-operative ina small village on the shores of LakeAtitlanin Guatemala. The womenwork in groups of five or so to produce these designs. The glassbeads are placed in a multicolored pile upon a flat surface in front ofeach woman, and are picked up on needles held between each woman’sthumb and index finger in a process so quick and precise that it seems likesleight of hand. As beads accrue, the sculpture emerges.Beadersmust learn to weave or sculpt each new design separately, and to achievethe uniformity necessary they must memorize hundreds of steps for eachfigure.