The Indigenous people of Guatemala produce some of the most beautifully woven and colorful textiles. The problem is, most of them live in remote villages, 
making their textiles a little harder to access than the ones massed produced for the tourist crowds. The solution is Nim Po’t, a consignment store that serves as a place to purchase and showcase Mayan textiles.
One of the most popular and sought after item available at Nim Po’t are huipiles, the large overblouses traditionally worn by Mayan women. The neat thing about huipiles is that each village has it’s own style, and it evolves over time, so experts can actually tell where a huipil is from and when it was woven just by looking at it! Antique huipiles are highly sought after by collectors, with some fetching prices of hundreds of dollars.
The Nim Po’t web-site explains:
A woman may spend months weaving a single huipil when complex techniques or designs are required. Through the choices of design, material and finishing technique, information can be read about the weaver’s birth-place, religious
background, social position, weaving skill, and personality. Indigenous women can read the complex encoded messages in each other’s huipiles at a glance.
Other goods available for purchase at Nim Po’t are skirts, belts, hair ornaments, quilts and tzutes, a square or rectangular utility cloth that has many uses, both in everyday life and in ceremonies. The items are all organized by category as well as by village, so you know from which Mayan community you are purchasing from.
If you are interested in learning more about the items that Nim Po’t has for sale, the web-site is extremely helpful and descriptive. The best part is, you can also purchase items from the internet. Although only money orders and checks are available at this time, the web-site has a Miami address where you send your check, and your goods are then shipped to Miami. Further shipping must be arranged from there.
If you are in Antigua and want to stop by Nim Po’t the address is 5a Avenida Norte #29.
Phone: 502–7832–2681
Images: Nim Po’t
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