PP051 Amazing Handmade Tapestry by Pedro Motaño

Welcome to Peyote People! My name is Kevin and together with my wife Beatriz we run a small gallery in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Over the last 10 years we have developed very close relationships with a number of families.

The Montaño Santiago family from Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca. Who have worked and mastered the techniques of weaving for 5 Generations. This Zapotec master craftsmen works using pedal loom, preserving the ancient techniques of weaving, dyeing and design.

The International community has recognized Pedro Motaño for his perfectionist skills. Sheep wool and natural fibers are the materials that he uses for his rugs. Motaño uses ancient techniques, mainly in the dyeing of wool with natural dyes, such as plants, roots, mosses, barks and husks of fruits and trees and mainly indigo paste and the cochineal grana. These same techniques are being used in the making of rugs since prehispanic times.

At age 12 he began to weave larger pieces with greater degree of difficulty, they were no longer just valances, nor working with traditional technique, but now he weaves geometric figures of all kinds, mainly diamonds. The Zapotec frets and ornaments used in his work are also found in the ruins of Mitla.

Please feel free to write us if you have any questions regarding any of the pieces in our collection or that we work with.