Hand Hooked Wool Rug Wall Hanging

Founded in 1996 by the organization Mujeres en Cambio, the Rug Hook Project is comprised of 15

women who create beautiful, authentic, colorful hooked wool rugs. Their subject matter is everything

that surrounds them in the small village of Agustin Gonzales in the central highlands of Mexico. From

mountains, cactus, cows, horses, burros, flowers, small houses, churches, ducks, rabbits, chickens,

roosters, and fish, to traditional symbols and motifs, each art piece is entirely unique. So, too, is the

skill of rug hooking in Mexico. To own a beautiful hooked rug from Las Rancheritas, as a decorative

wall hanging or as a functional floor piece, is to own a bit of living, organic tradition infused with

passion and care.

These women’s artisanry is born of late hours hooking once their children are asleep, or in the fields

between tending to animals or crops. The rugs oftentimes provide the primary income for their

household. These days, the hooked rugs also ensure scholarships for the girls in their village and

nearby communities and relief from the economic impacts of the pandemic.