Origen
© 2001 - 2003 Origen ®

Our vision and mission.

We are a company dedicated to promoting Argentina's handicrafts: native crafts, ethnic art and contemporary arts, crafts & design.
Our objective is to build a sustainable business that benefits small handicraft producers and artisans, linking them with the developed world's consumer markets.

We adhere to the standards and practices laid down by the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT), a global coalition of handicrafts and agricultural producer organizations, by promoting the concept of fair trade, creating marketing initiatives that stimulate the knowledge about Argentina's traditional crafts and the cultural values, symbols and myths expressed through them. While also promoting fine craftsmanship, encouraging high standards and increasing public awareness of our country's crafts and the standard of living challenges faced by our producers.

We work directly with craftsmen from different regions of our country and also with government and non-profit organizations that protect their interests and cultural values.

At Origen we are committed to:

• Preserving the rich diversity of Argentina's indigenous people's cultural heritage and their artistic expressions.

• Promoting urban and contemporary quality crafts and arts.

Every time you buy a hand made craft, you are helping these people to continue with their traditions, beliefs and culture, allowing them to pass them on to new generations, while earning decent wages and living with dignity.

Craftsmen. The People.

There is an art to crafts. Our craftsmen and women create unique handcrafted pieces combining artistic skill, inventive imagination and ability with the ancient techniques learnt from their forbearers.
They are people, which have special skills, the result of many years' training and each artisan's distinctive hand is evident in the form and careful detailing of their creations.

Though Argentine crafts have been traditionally identified by the name of the ethnic group that produced them or by a particular style of art, the individual artists who created them are not anonymous, they are people that we know.

Nativa.

The origins of Argentine art date back 9300 years, when native Patagonian artists painted intricate rock-art designs in shades of terracotta, vermilion and white. Since then, it has grown and evolved maintaining its American essence.
Nowadays, Argentina has a rich variety of native cultures, with outstanding handicrafts and craftsmen.

Our Nativa collection is a pick of the best. It is our range of ethnic art, unique traditional native handcrafted objects. Each is an individual creation, made by hand, one at a time.

Native craftsmen's designs are imbued with their culture, the stories and legends handed down through the millennia.
Finding inspiration in their surroundings - in the guise of light, colour and texture - they fashion beautiful patterns, which reflect the shapes of their forests, valleys and arid steppes, depicting the wildlife and the values of their communities:

• The Kolla men and women who with artistic skill, spin and dye the wool of llama and sheep, weaving superior woollen cloth on hand looms...

• The women of the Puna and Chaco who collect plants, seeds and roots which they brew to carefully extract the vegetable dyes for their textiles, colourful symbols of the mysteries of life...

• The men who shape the ochre clays of the Andean highlands or the Chaco savannahs, modelling them following old traditions and firing them in wood fed kilns....

South American native arts and crafts are sold through many outlets throughout the world. Here are some tips to help you shop wisely:

• Buy from an established dealer who can give you a written guarantee or written verification of authenticity.

• Ask if your item comes with a certification tag. While not all authentic American Indian arts and crafts carry this tag, those that do are certified by the corresponding provincial government authority to be genuine.

All of our Nativa products must meet the following criteria:

• Indigenously Produced

• Hand made

• Sustainably Produced. For instance, our wood products, are obtained from species which are indigenous from Argentina, but none of them are listed as endangered species in the Red Book of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature).

Nativa: original traditional designs which embody the continuum of fate, life's joys and journeys.

Design.

Is our contemporary range of hand made articles created by talented young urban designers and craftsmen. These are crafts with verve that will stir your sensibility.
This collection covers a wide range of articles: garments, fashion accessories, exquisite jewellery, functional and decorative objects for the home:

• Master Silversmiths and jewellers whose creations span from the traditional and staid to the innovative.

• Purses, sashes, shawls and clothes with novel designs and original textures either hand painted or printed on the fabrics.

Gifts.

Distinctive gifts to commemorate any occasion with exclusivity and good taste.
This line blends ancestral and modern techniques. Our gifts are handcrafted items with an inherent value. The individuality of their design and quality of making are suited for consumers with strong individual preferences for authenticity and superior articles. They are special gifts for special moments, which are created by skilled artisans for specialty shops, museum stores and galleries.

Crafts. Quality & Individuality.

Each and every one of our products is fully handmade and unique. This, of course, adds to the charm of superior quality handmade goods.
Origen's crafts cover a wide range of uses:

• Products that make a home beautiful. Wall hangings, tapestries, rugs, floor coverings, artistic decorative pieces, textiles and wall art.

• Tabletop & Home-ware. Table linen, kitchen textiles, decorative and functional tabletop items, kitchen utensils, bowls, vases.

• Personal Accessories. Fashion apparel, clothing and garments, travel-ware, fashion accessories, belts and jewellery. (Silver cuff links, belt-buckles, bracelets, brooches, pendants, rings, tiepins, and earrings).

• Horse Riding. Silver and leather stirrups, crops, bits.

• Knives.

Our crafts are expressed through different media:

• Ceramics.

• Textiles.

• Metal.

• Wood.

• Leather.

And many bear traditional names:

• Tupu : Silver brooch.

• Yisca : Chaguar fibre purses.

• Ch'uspa : Llama wool purses.

• Llojlla : Shawl.

• Chumpi : Sash.

• Unkuñas and Phullus (Pullos) : Carpets and Blankets.

• L'oté, Aset, Towej, Wirque, Yuro, Huaco, Puco : Earthenware.

Personalized Articles & Collections

Upon request, we can develop articles with the designs or themes that you provide us with, based either on traditional ethnic materials (hand woven textiles, wood, earthenware, chaguar fibre, alpaca, sterling silver) or our contemporary artistic fabrics.
We can also create exclusive limited edition collections, event-oriented and promotional articles.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome. Thank you.
 

Rosina Molinari      Pablo Lorenzo

Origen
Arenales 1239
Rue des Artisans, Toldo 2, Local D
C1061AAK Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel. (+54) 11 4813 2529