Ixbalam Ke Women Weavers find inspiration in all that surrounds them for the design of this white cotton shawl. It is woven on a back strap loom featuring five bands of openwork showing the crabs that live in the shores and caves along the borders of the region’s rivers. Leafy patterns symbolize the lush flora of Alta Verapaz, while dots represent corn. They also include patterns like the combs women use after swimming in the rivers and lakes.