🇧🇴 Handicrafts of Bolivia

Handicrafts of Bolivia: an introduction

For a buyer, Bolivia is best understood through what comes off its workbenches rather than how it is organised. The country is known for Andean weaving with regional motif systems, silverwork, gourd carving and knitted alpaca.

All fifteen craft families are shown below. The ones marked in blue are where craft output in Bolivia concentrates; the rest are made or traded there on a smaller scale, and are worth a look if you are sourcing across categories.

• Handloom & Textile Crafts
• Embroidery & Needlework
• Handmade Carpets & Rugs
• Pottery & Ceramics
• Metalware & Brassware
• Woodcraft & Carving
• Stone & Marble Craft
• Handmade Jewellery & Beadwork
• Leather Craft
• Cane, Bamboo & Basketry
• Paper Craft & Papier-Mâché
• Lacquerware & Painted Wood
• Glass Craft & Beadmaking
• Handmade Toys & Dolls
• Ritual & Devotional Objects

Blue = strongest in Bolivia · plain = also available

Each craft-family page explains what to look for in the finished product — quality markers, sizes, finishes, care and price behaviour — wherever in the world it is made. Read the family page for the product, and this page for the country.

Buying well here means being specific about the finished piece: the exact size, the colour range you will accept, and the finish. Handmade variation is normal and should be planned for, not treated as a defect.