Wall Art

635 items

The Village Council

Your answers straight from the village experts

+ - How do I care for my tapestry?

As with any work of art, direct sunlight will fade colors over time, especially for tapestries with natural dyes. We recommend hanging your tapestry in an area that avoids direct sun exposure to maintain vibrancy. To clean your woven tapestry, use a vacuum with an upholstery attachment or dry clean if necessary. Spot treatment can also be used with a gentle fabric cleaner, but we recommend testing it on a small area first. Alternatively, you may hand wash your tapestry using cold water, then hang it to dry in the shade. Some tapestries made from cotton fabric may be machine washed on cold.

+ - What are the most common materials used to make tapestries?

When it comes to handcrafted traditional tapestries, the most common materials include wool, cotton, silk, and natural dyes. Certain regions incorporate unique materials or designs into their tapestries. In the Andes, alpaca fiber is commonly used. In India, one finds batik printed cotton. In Mexico and Central America sheep wool and natural cotton threads are frequently used. In Thailand, rich silk material is a feature of handmade tapestries.

+ - What makes a tapestry eco-friendly?

To craft an eco-friendly tapestry, traditional artisans hold themselves to high standards, both in terms of materials and processes. Natural fibers, textiles, and dyes are derived from plants and trees. Some artisans even incorporate recycled or upcycled materials in their commitment to eco-friendly processes. Traditional art forms that are passed down through the generations are often painstakingly made by hand. They are naturally eco-friendly, as they avoid mass production, factory runoff, and industrial waste. This also means that each tapestry is uniquetruly one of a kind.

+ - Are tapestries a good way to insulate a room?

When it comes to tapestries, function meets style! A handmade tapestry can be a great way to brighten up any living space while providing insulation against the cold. Materials like alpaca and sheep wool create natural warmth by trapping cool air inside the cloth, creating a more stable temperature within the room.

+ - Are tapestries handmade?

While factory-produced tapestries are increasingly available to consumers, traditional, authentic tapestries are handmade by artisans who often learn the artform from older generations. Skilled makers from the Andes, India, Mexico and Thailand make use of foot-treadle or backstrap looms, where they interweave warp and weft threads and then tamp them down into a tight stitch. An artisan may finish a handmade tapestry by using a needle and thread or a sewing machine for final touches.

+ - What are the most popular tapestry designs?

Traditional tapestries depict scenes and images which are drawn from the lives and natural environments of the artisans who craft them. Some include geometric designs, like the mandala, which is thought to represent wholeness and symmetry. Others make use of paisley, floral, or leafy patterns, particularly in tapestries from India. Central American tapestries may incorporate geometric motifs, animals, and people, while Mexican tapestries are often colorful with Greca patterns and designs. Thai artisans use symbols that are popular within Thai culture, religious characters, animal scenes, or depictions of human forms. Unique tapestries from the Andes are often vibrant with elaborate scenes that incorporate folklore, village life, and pastoral existence.

+ - What are traditional methods of making tapestries?

The methods for making tapestries vary as widely as the regions from which they come. Because many traditional artisans adopt the methods of their ancestors, they have kept those ancient artforms alive and well. In the Andes, weavers often work on a wooden treadle loom in which they use foot pedals, called treadles, to control the weave of the tapestry. In Central America, the treadle loom and the backstrap loom are both integral to tapestry art. The backstrap loom is one of the oldest techniques which dates back thousands of years, in which one part of the loom is attached to the weaver and the other part is attached to a fixed object (historically, a tree). To create vibrant color, artisans embroider and dye their tapestries with natural plants and pigments. Around the world, weavers use tie-dye, Dabu (the application of wax or gum clay and resin to the cloth to create a diffuse color effect), Batik (an ancient method in which dye-resistant wax is applied to cloth to create select patterns of color), hand embroidery, and patchwork to create unique and diverse tapestry art.

+ - Where did tapestries originate?

The tapestry is an ancient textile art form that dates back thousands of years to early civilizations in Peru, Egypt, and Thailand. In Peru, skilled weavers used colorful camelid fiber threads to create beautiful tapestries for ritualistic funeral mantles. Ancient Incas wove short tunics (Unku) to show importance and social status. Ancient Egyptians crafted shroud-like tapestries to bury their dead. Tapestries gained international prominence when Europeans began to decorate their castles and churches with elaborate textiles that depicted historical scenes, as well as religious messages. Today, skilled artisans preserve the ancient techniques of their ancestors. In Thailand, for example, silk weavers are renowned for techniques that have been used since the rule of the Angkor kings circa 800 A.D. In Central America, contemporary weavers pay homage to early Mayan artisans who used plants, shells, and even snails to color their first tapestries in the 15th century. In India, where some of the first tapestries were made and the textile industry became the base of their economy, the skills of generations past still live on in modern artisans.

Featured Reviews

Steel wall sculpture, 'Avian Friends'

Melodie

Sep 2, 2020

Second purchase from this artist

This is my second purchase from this artist. These colorfull birds bring wonderfull color and whimsy to my kitchen.

Animal Wall Decor

Hanging Sculpture

Lovely Wall Art

Positive Energy Decor

Steel Wall Sculptures

Animal Themed Wall Decor

Wall Art

Steel wall art, 'Beloved Sun'

Judith

Jun 21, 2016

elegant wall art

I have this piece at the end of my hallway, in my apartment. It is with other pieces of South American art, all purchased from Novica. This is both powerful, and elegant. It is perfect in its place, and I am so glad that I found it when I started to re-do my hallways.

Colorful Outdoor Wall Art

Colorful Wall Art

Different Decor

Go With Whimsical

Steel wall art, 'Butterfly Soul'

Charles

Aug 2, 2022

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING

THESE BUTTERFLIES ARE SO GORGEOUS THAT I BOUGHT ALL FOUR DIFFERENT ONES. WOULD DEFINATELY RECCOMED THIS ARTISTS WORK. CHARLES V.

A Cute Outdoor Decor

Animal Wall Decor

Beautiful Butterfly Decor

Metal Outdoor Wall Art

Featured Artist

J. Blas Iron wall art

(340)

The artistry of J. Blas has been featured in Family magazine and Kentucky Monthly.

Every piece crafted at my workshop goes hand in hand with originality, design and quality.

"Hello. My name is J. Blas. From the time I was small, I've enjoyed arts and crafts. I loved to dig and prepare clay to make my own pieces and... read more

Simple Tricks For Pairing Area Rugs With Wall Art

When it comes to home dcor, there are some simple tricks for pairing area rugs with decorative wall art to... read more

Welcome Friends Into Your Home with This Gorgeous Hand Crafted, Iron, Mexican Sun Welcome Sign

.single.postid-4282 .entry-media { display: none; } Moving is a lot of work, tiresome, and did I mention a ton... read more

Beautiful Glass Mosaic Cross

.single.postid-5428 .entry-media { display: none; } A few years ago we completely redecorated our living room... read more

Steel Wall Art To Revive Your Home

After recently undergoing a home renovation project that turned our 800sq ft master bedroom into two separate... read more

Stunning First Impressions: Tips for Decorating Your Entryway

In our society, first impressions hold a lot of weight. We put emphasison sounding our best, looking our best... read more

Alejandro Chavez, healing the pain of tragedy with Ayacuchan retablos

Alejandro Chavez began learning the art of Ayacuchan retablos, or dioramas, at a very young age. But a war... read more

How to Make your New House Feel Like Home

Moving into a new home can be a very daunting process but this transition comeswith a lot of excitement as... read more

Ways To Incorporate Wall Art In Your Home

Adding wall art to your home will make your space a more enjoyable to the living area. I appreciate bringing... read more

What One Guatemalan Woodcarver Can Teach Us About the Real Causes of Immigration

Woodcarver Arturo Aj Canil of Guatemala To understand immigration, we need to understand the root causes that... read more

The Summer Catalog

Discover our unique collection of beautiful, handmade objects from around the world, inspired by more than a century of exploration.

SHOP THE CATALOG

Express Gifts

Gift Cards

Welcome!

Wall Art

Related Categories

Unique Finds

The Village Council

Featured Reviews

J. Blas Iron wall art

Related Articles

The Summer Catalog

Handmade with Care.
Delivered with Confidence.

Wall Art

Related Categories

Unique Finds

The Village Council

Featured Reviews

J. Blas Iron wall art

Related Articles

The Summer Catalog

Handmade with Care. Delivered with Confidence.

Handmade with Care.
Delivered with Confidence.