Tucan

About this piece

The Tucan bag is a bucket bag hand-woven in natural Iraca palm by artisans in Usiacuri, Atlantico, with an open basket stitch that lets the fibre's own texture and warm tone show. On the front, a toucan embroidered in orange with a blue eye and a red beak sits beside a branch of green leaves worked in relief: each leaf is woven separately and sewn onto the body, which is what gives the piece its depth. The handle is a string of round wooden beads held by gold-tone rings, and the inside is lined in cotton with a drawstring closure, so the bag holds its shape and keeps small items from slipping through the weave. It is an everyday bag with a tropical streak, good for a summer day, a trip, a market morning, or a lunch outdoors. Being handmade, the position of the leaves and the toucan's tone vary slightly between pieces.