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If you spent any time on Parque Central, this will be one of the most common vistas. If you spend too much time there, you might become the buyer, especially if you look like a tourists or a foreigner. Sometimes just carrying a camera is enough to mark you as one. That’s what happens to me often, that’s why from now on I will be carrying a tiny camera that can fit in my pocket. I will update you with the results of my experiment.

These are the more traditional baskets found in Guatemala. I believe these baskets are made from Maguey fiber. Kathryn Rousso knows for sure since she’s the foremost authority when it comes to handicrafts made from natural fibers in Guatemala. You can read some of her finding at the Revue web site.

At the recent Fair Trade Fair in Antigua Guatemala I found these gorgeous baskets made from dried pine needles. The vendor had traveled all the way from Nicaragua to show and sell her baskets. Although, I believe these pine-needle baskets are also made in Guatemala. What do you think, are pine needle baskets made in Guatemala?

The traditional ceramic owls in La Antigua Guatemala are yellow, orange and brown as I have show you before, but more recently on Brilliant and Colorful Guatemala so these unusually looking tecolotes caught my attention. These ceramic owls get their distinctive paint job at one of the village around Lake Atitlán; San Antonio Palopó if I’m not mistaken. Well, one thing is certain, it doesn’t matter the color or paint job or even the materials, tecolotes are among the most popular figures found in the Guatemalan handicrafts and decoration markets.

Here’s one of the new directions that Guatemalan textiles are taking. You can still identify the pieces as made with Mayan textiles from Guatemala, but the patterns and colors as well as the new designs of purses and backpacks are made for people in North America and Europe.

What do you think of these new colors and designs?

Rich colors, patterns and textures are what one gets when buying a piece of Guatemalan textiles. A good example of this statement is the purse shown above, don’t you agree?

On November 11, 2011 (11.11.11 for short) the Feria Nacional de Comercio Justo y Solidario Guatemala 2011 opened its kiosk on the arched hallway of Palacio de los Capitanes Generales to promote exchanges for a better world the brochure declares. The national fair trade fair will remain open until Sunday at 3pm, so if you’re in Antigua Guatemala stop by to get chance to talk to and buy directly from the artisans and small producers of honey, coffee, handicrafts, textiles, recycled crafts, shampoos, teas, cereals, etc.

I took other photos of some of the fair stands, so, stay tune for additional coverage.

I remember that when I was a kid my friends and I made these kind of kites from scratch; barriletes we call them here. Kids nowadays have it easy, just buy them, but they don’t know that half of the fun was building your own since you have to take a field trip with your friends to find the baritas (sticks) and cook the engrudo (glue) from zero. Of course, when you build your own kites, you can make them anyway you please so long as them fly. Believe me, by the time we got to the nearest open space, we had already have had so much fun. I am pretty sure this still holds true for many kids living villages around Guatemala.

I have said it before, but I repeat it again here: Guatemalans can not make anything if it’s not bright and colourful, don’t you agree?

I believe this is the second time I noticed these wooden rustic chairs hanging from a wall. In the post Hanging Chairs in La Antigua Guatemala I reported that I found the hanging chair unusual and intriguing; I still do.

What do you think the hanging chairs represent or mean?

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. —Henry Miller

As every first of the month, AntiguaDailyPhoto is participating on the theme day organized by DailyPhoto community. Mystery Object was voted as the theme for October 2011.

I had a couple of mysterious objects in mind including rum distillation equipment, but, on the last minute, I came across the quote from Henry Miller about how mysterious and awesome the world can be if we pay attention to it. I chose to share these mysterious looking objects, Guatemalan decoration pieces really, made with seeds commonly found in Guatemala. I hope you like it.

Please, if you have some extra time this weekend pay a visit to the other DailyPhoto cities around the world participating and find out what my colleagues have chosen for the theme day. Afterwards come back and let’s know what was the most mysterious object you found.

With today’s entry we finish the handicrafts from around Antigua Guatemala series. Yes, I bet many of you don’t know we were running a series, right?

Out of these five fruits, I am sure there’s one that’s unfamiliar to many of you; we call it granada fruit. Once is ripe, you break it apart and eat the bright red seeds; they taste very citric.

Have you had granada fruit yet? If not, give it a try next time you visit Guatemala.

What better than than Guatemalan-illustrated mugs for your Guatemalan coffee or chocolate? I am sure many of you will be very happy with the one liter mug (34 oz). Don’t you agree Eric from Boston?

These Mayan ceramic replicas can be had for about Q150/$20, but DO NOT try to take them out of the country because you might run into trouble. It turns out now there’s a law that forbids taking handicrafts and replicas out of the country without first having the Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes certify that the piece or pieces do not belong the cultural patrimony of Guatemala. Click the thumbnail to see the actual steps one must take to get this certification.

Don’t you wish you can have one these adorable Guatemalan nacimientos (nativity scenes) in your own home for the next Christmas?

In my never ending quest to share with you all the different artistic manifestations from Guatemala that I come across I preset you this video clip entitled Tejido audiovisual de Guatemala by Julio Dávila also known as VJ Sine. Julio shared this video at TEDxUFM, short for TED (Technology Entertainment Design) x= independently organized TED event and UFM (Universidad Francisco Marroquín). If you’re interested in looking at photos and reading a collective summary of the event, follow the white rabbit to TEDxUFM slide show. In the mean time, enjoy the video below.

Metal handicrafts are also very popular so there are plenty of artisans around Antigua Guatemala that work with metal. Often you will also find antique metal pieces at these handicraft fairs.

Can you tell what the metal figurines to the right of the cat do as a group?