The Indigofera pillow is a tribute to the infinite patterns achieved by the “ikat” technique.   From the Guatemalan story-telling motif, to the traditional pattern and contemporary designs of Indonesia, this one-of-a-kind pillow combines the best of both worlds and especially speaks to those lovers of indigo blue.  It is the perfect accent pillow for any home.

DETAILS:

• 18” x 18” (45.7 cm x 45.7 cm)

• Front - cotton

• Back – cotton, in navy blue

• Zipper closure

• Down feather pillow insert

• Fabric origins:  Guatemala, Indonesia

THE STORY:

This pillow is such a beautiful example for showing the diversity in the ikat technique.  The Guatemalan ikat fabric on the right, known as “jaspe” in Spanish, is very pictorial, showing people and pine trees, and  one of the Indonesian ikats shows a very traditional pattern, and the other, more contemporary. Ikat is the exact art of wrapping warp threads to form a resist before submerging the warp into the dye bath.  It requires the re-wrapping of threads if more than one color is used in the fabric.  It is a very precise technique to ensure a consistent pattern.  

The Guatemalan jaspe fabric is one of the many textiles I collected while living in Guatemala from 1994 to 2001. This fabric was woven in the Highlands of Guatemala near the town of Totonicipan. At the time, I was working for an alternative trade organization which offered a variety of handicrafts, including home goods and clothing, through a mail order catalog. I had the privilege of working with the weavers who supplied the handwoven fabric for the many products. Most of the fabric was woven on floor looms but there were some fabrics woven on back strap looms as well.  

I purchased the Indonesian fabrics used in this pillow from Pekerti, a fair trade organization I have worked with for many years which is located on the island of Java. My first visit was in 1992 as a consultant of Serrv International and then years later, as a Buyer for Serrv.  The first visit opened my eyes to the beautiful ikat weaving of Indonesia.

This pillow is embellished with three contrasting blue buttons.