Artisan Hand weaving
THE RFB JOURNAL

Field Notes

On craft, provenance, and living with handwoven art.

Every piece in the shop is the result of months of skilled work in a specific place — by a named artisan, using techniques passed across generations. This journal is where that context lives. Notes from visits to artisan communities, practical guidance on displaying and caring for handwoven art, and the occasional deep dive on what makes one tradition different from another. Read slowly. These objects were made that way.

Journal

How to Judge Quality in Handwoven Art: A Collector's Guide Across Six Traditions
How to judge quality in handwoven baskets and figures: strand counts, light tests, natural dye checks and bark versus fabric, across six Indigenous traditions.
How Much Do Wounaan Baskets Cost, and Why
Wounaan baskets from Panama's Darién cost $80 to $20,000. Here's what determines the price: months of dye work, sometimes years of weaving, all by hand.
What Is Hösig Di? The Wounaan Basket Fine Enough to Hold Water

Hösig di is the Wounaan name for coiled baskets stitched from chunga palm so tightly they hold water with no sealant. A look at how they are made and how to recognize an authentic one.