Orient Lamb Wool Shoulder Bag ^Sale

The beautiful color coordination on this bag highlights the skillful craftmanship of Peruvian artisans.   It’s made with sheep wool and natural dyes derived from plants and the cochineal, an insect native to subtropical South America.  It lives on cacti, feeding on plant moisture and nutrients.  The cochineal produces carmin acid, which is extracted, mixed with aluminiun or calcium salts to make carmine dye.  This natural dye is safe, non-toxic and was used in the Americas for coloring fabrics.  It became an important export good in the 16th century colonial period, before the creation of synthetic pigments and dyes.