Belts, Bum Bags, Money Belts, Waist Pouches, Purses, Keyrings, Wallets

Holdalls, Shoulder Bags

Educational, Tutorials, Sheet Music

Gloves, Hats, Scarves, Shawls, Pashminas, Slippers

Drink, Food

Masks, Statues

Bracelets, Earrings, Necklaces

Traditional Andean Music

Charangos, Classical Guitars, Mama [...]]]>

Belts, Bum Bags, Money Belts, Waist Pouches, Purses, Keyrings, Wallets

Holdalls, Shoulder Bags

Educational, Tutorials, Sheet Music

Gloves, Hats, Scarves, Shawls, Pashminas, Slippers

Drink, Food

Masks, Statues

Bracelets, Earrings, Necklaces

Traditional Andean Music

Charangos, Classical Guitars, Mama Quena Flutes, Native Flutes, Panpipes, Quena Flutes, Quenacho, Tarka Flutes, Traverse Flutes

Handmade Smoking Pipes

Tapestries, Rugs, Weavings

Each weaving is unique and offers it’s own characteristics to the belts charm, making each item completely individual and different to any other.

These belts are as original [...]]]> These beautiful handmade leather belts are the sewn with original Andean tribal weavings, fashioned in sections throughout out the belt.

Each weaving is unique and offers it’s own characteristics to the belts charm, making each item completely individual and different to any other.

These belts are as original as you can get. You will not find another the same.

Made from thick brown leather, these belts range from all sizes, just browse our belts section and find one that suits your requirements.

Visit our shop for lots more Handmade Leather Belts & Moneybelts

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Lots more new belts coming in soon !

Here on Original Artisan, we go to great lengths to bring you the best handmade alpaca hats and gloves Bolivia has to offer and present them to you at the best prices you’ll find anywhere else on the net.

All our alpaca hats and gloves are handmade [...]]]> …

Here on Original Artisan, we go to great lengths to bring you the best handmade alpaca hats and gloves Bolivia has to offer and present them to you at the best prices you’ll find anywhere else on the net.

All our alpaca hats and gloves are handmade by Bolivian artisans, high in the mountains of the Andes from 100% pure alpaca wool, making them the warmest garments you will ever wear.

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Although relatively rare, alpaca wool is rapidly becoming one of the most sought after materials in the Western world for use in the creation of luxurious garments and winter wear. With over 80% of all alpaca fibres coming from the high regions of the Andes, it’s amazing properties way outclass it’s standard woolen counterparts, meaning demand far outweighs the supply of this wonderful natural fibre.

Second only to silk for strength, alpaca is stronger, warmer, softer and much more durable than wool. Alpaca is also hypoallergenic, making it ideal for those who suffer from allergic reactions to normal wool.

All our alpaca hats and gloves are dyed with natural colours and handwoven by our Bolivian artisans, individually made by hand in small numbers.

Alpaca Hat

We have many different types of alpaca hat available, each having it’s own characteristics and individual charm due to their handmade nature. Many of our alpaca hats are sewn with a warm fleece inner lining, providing extra warmth and comfort, whilst others are fashioned without lining to cater for all styles and tastes.

All the chullos you see here on Original Artisan are the genuine article and we are always very proud to be able to say ‘You will not get more original than this’.

Alpaca Hat Sizes

All our pure alpaca hats are generally labelled ‘one size fits all’. Due to their handmade nature, each hat varies slightly in size from the next, and although sizes differ slightly, they stretch easily and will generally fit most adults and children.

If you try one of our hats and find it does not fit, just let us know and we will happily refund your purchase or try and find a suitable replacement that suits your requirements.

Here on Original Artisan, it’s not about selling hats to our clients, it’s about finding the right hat for you. You can rely on our 100% satisfaction guarantee to ensure you get a perfect fit.

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Providing exceptional warmth and comfort, these items of alpaca clothing way outclass any similar woolen garment. Our alpaca section always receives exceptional feedback from customers who have purchased these products.

Alpaca Gloves

The colours in these gloves are all 100 % natural and hand
dyed.

These fingerless alpaca gloves feature a unique thumb cover with a slit to allow easy access for use with telephones, mobiles etc.

Includes mittens that can be folded over the fingers with woven loop and button to pin back when not in use.

These alpaca gloves are truly the warmest gloves you will ever wear.

Alpaca gloves. With loop and button to pin back mitts.

Kids Alpaca Hats

Our children’s selection of fine alpaca hats are especially cute. With a comfortable inner lining and made from 100% pure alpaca.

Click here to visit our alpaca clothing shop.

Featuring lots of handmade hats and gloves, scrarves, shawls and pashminas.

Original Artisan brings you the best of Bolivia, straight to your door.

Visit our Shop

However, buying an instrument online can be tricky and involves making decisions based purely on the images and text available from the author, which [...]]]> Here on Original Artisan, we aim to bring you the best Bolivia has to offer regarding quena flutes, quenachos and many other authentic professional Andean instruments.

However, buying an instrument online can be tricky and involves making decisions based purely on the images and text available from the author, which often isn’t enough to clinch that final decision and get you just the right flute for your needs.

Luckily, over the last few months through communications with my customers, I’ve made some great friends and met some truly excellent clients who have offered their skills and advice to help me provide the best service I can.

So thanks to the wonders of the internet, and the kindness of one of my international clients from across the globe in Canada, we have some excellent samples of some of the Andean flutes sold here on Original Artisan, made with nothing more than a flute, a simple webcam and a song to aid your decision and help you find your ideal quena.

These first two flute samples are from one of my Mamani ‘tweaked’ Jacaranda quenas as pictured below.

Mamani ‘Tweaked’ Jacaranda Concert Quena Flute

Click on the videos below to hear this flute being played.

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The sound in the first half of these videos has not been enhanced in any way and was recorded in a standard household room, using a simple computer webcam and nothing else. As you can hear, this Mamani concert quena has an amazing sound even without any mics, eq or effects.

Most online songs, videos and quena demos are usually recorded professionally with added eq and effects such as reverb and delay to enhance that ‘mystical’ feeling produced by these types of instruments.

So to keep our demos in line with others you might find on the web and to give you an idea of how it sounds in comparison, I have included some basic reverb in the last half of each sample, to give our vids that real ‘Spirit of the Andes’ touch you’ll be familiar with.

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Tweaked Jacaranda Quena

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Here’s another example of some fine quena playing by our mystery flutist.

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If you would like to view this flute in detail, please visit our concert quena’s page to see a wide selection of gallery photos or make a purchase.

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If these samples have helped you, please show your thanks to our quena player in the comment box below and if you have any questions about this flute, just ask and I’ll get back to you.

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Check out my quena flute page for details of many more andean quenas sold on this site, or view our woodwind section for zamponas, pan flutes and panpipes.

If you are looking to buy a professional Andean quena flute, or kena as they are often known in the Western world – Original Artisan has one of the widest and most successful ranges available and we’ve been shipping our top class handmade, fairtrade quena and quenacho [...]]]> …

Woodwind Instruments

If you are looking to buy a professional Andean quena flute, or kena as they are often known in the Western world – Original Artisan has one of the widest and most successful ranges available and we’ve been shipping our top class handmade, fairtrade quena and quenacho flutes to hundreds of satisfied customers around the world since we began trading almost two years ago.

Wooden Quena Flute – Wayacan

The Andean quena or kena flute has for generations been one of South America’s most highly revered instruments, regarded as sacred in times past, the quena still plays a significant role in the events and everyday lives of the Andean people.

Used in religious ceremony, family occasions, weddings and celebrations across South America and in many countries around the world, this remarkable yet simple wooden flute symbolises the true vibrant nature of the people of the Andes.

Achieving almost mythical status throughout the history of the Indian tribes, the quena is today proving to be even more popular with modern day musicians and enthusiasts than ever before.

Held in high regard and increasingly used in film making by directors and composers such as Tony Hinnigan and Gustavo Santaolalla, for classic films such as Braveheart & Brokeback Mountain, it is easy to see why this beautiful wooden flute has become so popular.

Aymara Jacaranda Quena Flute

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As the western world familiarises itself with cultures past and modern technology and the internet brings the music and cultures of the world closer together, the wooden quena flute remains one of the most haunting yet beautiful sounds of the Andes, symbolising the colourful lives and struggles of the indigenous tribes people of South America.

Sought after by professional and amateur musicians alike, the quena is an ideal instrument for anyone looking to venture into the world of woodwind instruments.

The Andean quena flute has either 4, 5 or 6 holes in the front, one at the back, and a u shaped notch at the mouth. The six hole quena has a musical span of 3 octaves.

These instruments are made from various materials including bamboo, bone and other beautiful South American woods such as Jacaranda and Wayacan.

Tweaked Jacaranda Quena

All the woodwind instruments sold on this site are of excellent quality and should not be confused with other South American souvenir type tourist flutes which are manufactured on mass with no attention to sound quality and tuning.

Original Artisan’s luthiers are highly regarded craftsman and expert musicians in their own right, each having a lifetime’s experience in making these wonderful woodwind instruments.

Personally selected by my family in Bolivia who have the advantage of local knowledge and the expertise of more than three generations in local business, our unique family ties enable me to select the best pieces from across the globe to present to you here on Original Artisan .

Bone Quena with Reinforced Metal Mouth Piece

Unlike many ordinary sites, we are in constant contact with our luthiers, providing them with valuable customer feedback, enabling us to source and create instruments specifically tailored for our customers’ needs.

We do our best to provide a truly personal service, one you’ll find no where else on the internet.

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Take a look at some of my customer reviews to see just why your buying experience with us, will be the best you’ve had by far.

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REVIEWS

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Satisfaction Guarantee

If you purchase a quena flute, quenacho, zampona or any instrument from Original Artisan and are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you are always completely covered by my own personal satisfaction guarantee and can be assured that your issues, no matter how small will be dealt with personally by me.

What ever it takes, I’ll do my best to make sure your visit has a happy outcome.

Out of stock ? – No problem

If you find we are out of stock for the particular quena flute you are looking for, don’t worry, Original Artisan has regular shipments of all our current flutes on offer and we are often only a few days away from a new shipment arriving.

Simply email me or contact us using this sites’ contact page and your flute can be reserved free of charge and you will be notified as soon as our stock comes in. I’ll always be close by to take your request and get back to you as soon as possible. Often I respond to enquiries within minutes, or if I’m not immediately available, within a few hours at the latest.

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Looking for Something Different ?

Bone & Ebony Quena

If you are looking for something different or have in mind a style of quena flute (or any other instrument) that we do not have listed, I will be happy to source that product for you at no extra cost. The price you pay for personal or special orders will be exactly the same price as our customers would pay if the product was already available or in stock.

Original Artisan has had many customers in the past that have requested items that have essentially enhanced our product range and become popular with our clients. So if you think our product line could be enhanced by something you are looking for, just drop us a line and we’ll see what we can do.

It may take a while to source, select or have your product made and shipped to here in the U.K, but as many satisfied customers will vouch for us – we always get there in the end.

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Buy a Quena Flute

Bamboo Quena Flute

If you are looking to buy a quena flute and you’d like some advice on which of our range would be most suited to you, then take a look at my guide below.

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Quena Buying Guide

1. Professional Aymara Quena – Jacaranda Wood

Professional Aymara Quena – Kena – Flute – Jacaranda with Case

These quenas are our extremely popular and beautiful Aymara Jacaranda range. An excellent quena for beginners to expert at a very reasonable price. You can’t go wrong with one of these.

2. Professional Aymara Quena – Wayacan Wood

Professional Aymara Quena – Kena Flute – Wayacan with Case

Another excellent quena, made from slightly heavier Wayacan green wood. Perfect for all levels of play, right through to expert. Slightly more expensive than the Jacaranda, but worth it. One of my happy customers described this flute as having ‘a beautiful balmy smell’.

3.Concert ‘Tweaked’ Aymara Jacaranda Quena

Aymara Tweaked Concert Quena – Kena Flute – Jacaranda with Deluxe Case

Specifically ‘tweaked’ by the producers to ensure they are exceptional instruments and perform to the highest possible standard. Intermediate and advanced players should definitely go for one of these concert tweaked quenas. Lovely to play -  a beautiful, yet perfect instrument at an excellent price.

4. Professional Bamboo Quena

Unvarnished Tweaked Concert Quena – Kena Flute – Bamboo – Deluxe Case

Tweaked, untweaked and varnished versions of this excellent bamboo quena available. Many musicians seek the softer tones of the bamboo quena and we have many types available, all operating to a high standard.

5. Walata Concert Bamboo Quena

Walata Concert Tweaked Quena – Kena Flute – Bamboo with Case

The Walata quena is one of the most beautiful, rustic, raw and natural looking quenas we have. Challenging the intermediate to advanced player to pursue new heights of play whilst sampling the delights of this wonderful flute. More expensive than my other bamboo quenas, their creator explains that these, his best bamboo flutes are thicker and slightly harder to play than most and best suited for moderate or advanced players.

6. Bone & Ebony Concert Quena

Bone Quena – Kena – Professional Andean Flute w. Ebony Mouth Piece

Those looking for something really special should go for one of my bone and Ebony quenas. Exceptional response and an incredible sounding quena. These have a really nice weight to them and are a real treasure to have.

Although only an opinion, one of my regular customers who is a very experienced quena player described this flute as

‘…The bone Quena sounds like a high-end Shakuhachi and I can easily find at least 3 octaves. Just a great Flute! I have 28 Flutes, some very expensive ones, and I must say that this bone Quena is absolutely THE BEST!’

7. Bone & Metal Concert Quena

Bone Quena – Kena – Professional Andean Flute w. Metal Mouth Piece

Same as the bone and Ebony quenas but with reinforcing metal mouth and end pieces. A stunning quena for your collection. Although these bone quenas are more expensive than the wood or bamboo flutes, their beauty alone, more than makes up for it.

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Thanks for visiting and taking the time to view my quena page. Have a look around my site and check out my woodwind category where you’ll be able to view all my flutes available in one place, including the larger and more deeper sounding quenacho, along with some excellent professional pan pipes and zamponas.

If anything you are interested in is out of stock, be sure to contact me and you may find I still have some available or coming in very soon.

If you need to know any more information about these quena flutes or anything else on Original Artisan, feel free to get in touch using this site’s contact page.

Thanks.

Kier

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Mount Illimani is Bolivia’s second highest mountain. It’s beautiful, permanently snow covered peaks dominate the skyline of the world’s highest capital city – La Paz. Standing at 6438 metres above sea level, it is the highest peak in the range of mountains known as the Cordillera Real.

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Mount Illimani is Bolivia’s second highest mountain. It’s beautiful, permanently snow covered peaks dominate the skyline of the world’s highest capital city – La Paz. Standing at 6438 metres above sea level, it is the highest peak in the range of mountains known as the Cordillera Real.

Although not being graded as an exceptionally difficult peak, Mt. Illimani is a favourite destination for climbers and expeditions from all around the world. Reaching the summit is challenging and with the help of local guides should take the average climber around four days.

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Phytelephas meaning ‘Elephant Plant’. Aequatorialis relating to the equatorial regions native to the plant.

[...]]]> Vegetable ivory comes from a few species of tropical plants native to the Amazonian rainforests of South America. The most important source is the plant known as the ivory-nut palm i.e Phytelephas Aequatorialis.

Phytelephas meaning ‘Elephant Plant’.
Aequatorialis relating to the equatorial regions native to the plant.

The Ivory Nut Palm

Bearing large clusters of fruits that contain special ivory like seeds known as Tagua nuts, these palms grow along the banks of rivers along the Amazonian basin through Colombia, Bolivia and Peru.

These seeds are almost identical in colour, texture and hardness to elephant ivory and are carved in a similar fashion, providing a perfect alternative to the slaughter of elephants for their tusks.

Vegetable ivory is a wonderful, sustainable, natural resource and it’s export and use in the making of jewellery, carvings and countless other beautiful artifacts helps boost the economies of it’s native countries. It also provides a good alternative to the destruction of rainforests and animals for illegal or unsustainable produce.

The Tagua Nut

This palm is leading the way in the battle to save it’s natural jungle habitat as more areas of forest are preserved in order produce more of this wonderful material.

Vegetable ivory is not only beautiful, but an extremely important sustainable alternative to elephant ivory and is making a huge contribution to the welfare and environment of the Amazonian Basin and it’s people.

When you purchase an item of jewellery from Original Artisan made from vegetable ivory, you can be confident that what you are wearing is about as ethical and sustainable as you can get.

Take a look at our wide range of bracelets, necklaces and earrings made from Tagua and various other beautiful Amazonian seeds and materials. We also feature some amazing vegetable ivory keyrings and other accessories.

Our jewellery section is relatively new and will be expanding on a daily basis. Please check back every few days to see what’s new.

The women from Charazani meet for a comunitary reunion in Curva.

Over the next few months I’m going to be bringing you some great products direct from the continent of South America, including some amazing stuff from the world’s highest capital city – La Paz and [...]]]> Welcome to Original Artisan, a brand new website/blog that brings the best of the Bolivia straight to your door.

Over the next few months I’m going to be bringing you some great products direct from the continent of South America, including some amazing stuff from the world’s highest capital city – La Paz and loads of great handmade products from the indigenous tribes living high in the mountains of the Andes.

The Payachatas - Twin Volcanoes of Bolivia

Everything you see here on this site is sourced directly from local artisans and bought at a fair trade and price defined by the skilled craftsmen and women who create them.

They are sourced by my own family who have been living, working and trading with the South American people for over twenty years and have the knowledge and experience to select the best and most charismatic pieces for me to sell to my readers.

The idea of this blog is to create more of a personal sales experience for my buyers and I really do urge anyone interested in anything they see here to contact me if they have any queries or need more information on an item.

Also, if there are any products that you are interested in that are not featured on this website and originate from countries in South America such as Bolivia, Columbia or Peru etc. then feel free to contact me and I will do my best to get hold of them for you.

This site is constantly expanding and our product list and featured posts depicting life in Bolivia are updated on a daily basis. We hope to be bringing you lots of stories, videos and photographs that bring our visitors closer to the artisans, their communities and their daily lives and events that combine to create the colourful products you see on our pages. Stay tuned for some amazing stories, goods and great bargains coming this way..

..and remember, everything you see here is created by an Original Artisan.