Hand Embroidered Shipibo Women's Dress (Unique)

In the Shipibo language, this is called a Chitonti, the traditional dress of Shipibo women. They often hand-embroider their own Chitontis, saving highly detailed pieces like this for special occasions because of the immense time required to create them.

This specific Chitonti was made by a very old, traditional woman from the famous San Francisco community. She is incredibly sweet but speaks very little Spanish, primarily using her indigenous language. She identifies as Shipibo-Konibo, which is a specific subgroup that speaks a slightly different dialect of the language.

This piece features a very classic layout and design. It is somewhat worn, as she likely wore it herself before selling it. What makes it unique is her "hand"—due to her age, the designs are fluid and asymmetrical rather than perfectly geometric. It took her one full year to finish this art, as the work is very taxing on her hands. It has a beautiful, ancient look that feels like the ancestral Shipibo art found in historical records.