Wayuu Mochilas

This beautiful Wayuu bag comes all the way from La Guajira, Columbia, the easternmost peninsula in Latin America. . It is made by women of the Wayuu tribe, an indigenous group of Columbia and Venezuela. These colorful handmade mochilas require nearly 25 days of weaving. The Wayuu women prove their skill and creativity by using ancient techniques, while the men weave the shoulder strap. The Wayuu mochilas are actually Colombia's #1 handicraft export which makes these bags an integral part of the Wayuu culture playing a vital role in their local economy.

According to the legend, the Wayuu learned to weave thanks to a mythical spider called "Wale'Kerü”. The spider would create magical pieces using thread from her mouth. A girl then approached the spider and admired the way she wove. Flattered, the spider teaches the girl the art of weaving. The legend says that the girl spent several moons weaving and learning from the spider. When she was finally ready, the spider disappeared and she shared her new found knowledge with the women of the community. 

So why write a small blog about this bag if we only have one left? Well, because it is just that special!