Wool runner, \'Tulips of Peace\'

Welcoming the first blush of spring, delicate tulipanes (\"tulips\") wake slowly from their cold winter sleep. Their tiny buds squint and extend towards the sky, still reluctant to welcome the full force of the insistent sun. Infused with new growth and beginnings, this rug offers a lilting accent to a lively home interior. Cerapio Vallejos and his family translate the Andean landscape and its culture onto handmade textiles, employing both realistic figures and meaningful abstractions. Hailing from the southern highlands of Peru, Vallejos maintains weaving traditions he has practiced since childhood, elaborating his pieces on one of eight looms he constructed by hand. This work combines sheep wool (90%) and cotton (10%), resulting in a pleasing texture and generations of durability. The vivid colors are achieved with a blend of industrial and natural dyes such as those extracted from the cochineal insect, eucalyptus tree, walnut, and the native molle tree.