panpipes

The sweet tunes of the zampoña panpipe serenade the Andes with nostalgic songs. "The use of the zampoña has become widespread across the world and it is played at different functions," explains Benito Tito. "In Peru we play the zampoña during special ceremonies and traditional rites." Tito crafts this zampoña by hand with 13 bamboo reeds of the same diameter but different length. The pipes are tied together with a woven ribbon.

Tito includes a smaller zampoña as a gift. The set includes woven cases for storing.

This authentic panpipe is called a zampoña - the flute of the Andes that dates back to the Inca empire. The instrument, crafted of bamboo, is comprised of a concave arrangement of 23 pipes. Each pipe is slightly shorter than the next, and each one produces a unique pitch.

The flute arrives in a carrying case that emulates handloomed Inca textiles.

Miniature zampoña panpipes bring their soft tones to Christmas carols, sung by tiny people in traditional dress. They center red wreaths wrapped in handloomed-style ribbons. "Andean cultures are very expressive with their music," Margarita and Martha say. "These ornaments transmit our feelings about Christmas."

After the disappearance of the wise and ancient civilizations that once lived in the prosperous Andean lands, a sweet melody can still be heard from the sacred Peruvian mountains. The antara panpipe is one of the last remnants of the Inca's culture and artistic expressions, present in many contemporary celebrations.

This musical legacy is still alive thanks to artisans like Benito Tito, who has inherited the ancient knowledge of his ancestors to create this precious bamboo antara embellished with acrylic textiles typical of the region. The instrument also comes with a pretty case with Andean motifs.

An exquisite trio of tree ornaments celebrates Christmas with a distinct Andean spirit. Margarita and Martha craft each one by hand, covering them with bright cotton clothes that dress wool figurines. Each stick features more traditional Peruvian items, such as the quena panpipe. The set arrives in a card paper box.

In this hand made arpillera wall hanging, artisan Leonor Quispe of Peru brings to life the well-known Peruvian orchestral piece El Condor Pasa, or "The Condor Passes," popularized in the 1970's thanks to a rendition by Simon and Garfunkel. In the arpillera, an imposing condor flies over the Peruvian mountains and fields, while a smiling musician plays a panpipe, beguiling a herd of alpaca. The back of the wall hanging is solid white and has an attached multi-colored strap for hanging on the wall. Colorful and cheerful, this arpillera will brighten up any room.