"In times of the Inca Empire it was believed that divine spirits left their light on earth through fertility and harvest. Children were regarded as part of that harvest, and their fruit is the message of hope and happiness they share with us," Ledda Galvez says as she shares the ancient beliefs that inspire these ornaments. Ledda tells us, "Andean angels are messengers of love and peace. They are like children with open arms because they are ready to hug you and leave their story of love with you." The six angels are sewn by hand of cotton featuring jute wings and acrylic hair and ribbons. Their faces are painted by hand, and each is stuffed with cotton.
"Handcrafts is not something you sit down and study. You learn through practice. It goes beyond beauty or functionality, it symbolizes a unique cultural link."
Latest Update “I have been part of the Novica family since 2007. My art over time has surpassed itself. In fact it is an...Latest Update
“I have been part of the Novica family since 2007. My art over time has surpassed itself. In fact it is an art that I have been developing for a few years with some collaborators in my workshop in Lima. Some of my students come to Lima, and I send others work. I taught classes in rural areas, and to this day the students visit me in Lima.
“I would say that progress has been seen in quality, productivity and the use of natural materials such as 100% cotton, not in all products but in some of them. I still carry out my work in the same place as when I started, but I had it remodeled because everyone came to shop in the middle of the workshop. So I prepared the 1st floor as the store for the public while the 3rd floor is for production.
“I hope to continue with great optimism despite this pandemic and to continue to be part of Novica that supports art so much. A few years ago we improved the designs or prototypes and then adapted them to a simple production process. Everything is a matter of creativity. I design the product and create a re-design that is my prototype in production. Sometimes I make it with collaborators, sometimes alone--it depends. I always respect the creative process of my collaborators, and they respect my creative process. It is healthy productive competition; it sounds demanding but it is very challenging. In some processes I am not very productive and I receive substantial help.
“I have run into my own design challenges; that is where I resort to the genius of the collaborators. From them I receive key solutions, because there is always a process that they handle better than me, and vice-versa. In general, I can say that they all respect that talents are different and that we can all win, as long as the product is of high quality.
The greatest of all the challenges is the product. Everything is handmade, so I analyze the designs I made and I correct the designs. And I love the collaborators, especially those who take the bus to travel to Lima to come to the workshop.
“My work has improved in many ways, especially my discipline in making product categories with the exact color, form and design, because it is a catalog, and the client expects to receive what he saw in the photo. Novica has accompanied me in all my creative adventures; they have welcomed my products, my inventions and my follies. When I joined Novica I really needed an opportunity; I was in a wheelchair after an accident and I couldn't walk for a few months. Novica gave me the opportunity to show that I could do it, that I could be productive from my bed or from my wheelchair. I will not forget that, because not everyone receives an opportunity in that situation. That opportunity was for me, and is still in my heart, and if during all these years I was ever discouraged, I soon felt more than rewarded and encouraged again. I really appreciate being me, and that Novica saw me as I was--a human being who only wanted to offer an art, a message, something of me to you. To talk about what I wanted to talk about, about my love for crafts, for the art of the people, for their ancestral knowledge and for their original designs. In this difficult stage of the pandemic, my goals are to reinvent my product line.”
Original Artist Story
"My full name is Ledda Monica Galvez Impicciatori and I was born in Peru on 14 November 1972. For the first years of my life I lived happily with my grandmother, then my parents and I moved to another house with a garden, where I grew up quite happily too.
"My dad is a very creative man and paints beautifully, whereas my mother, a creative person as well, is an amateur photographer. I studied Foreign Commerce and Economy. I love art and finances.
"I come from an artistic family: my dad, my sister, and my uncles are involved in the art world. My grandmother, Cristina Gálvez, is a renowned artist in Peru. I took my first adventures in the art world in the early 1990's. Thanks to my job I was in contact with artists, artisans and designers who taught me how to combine art, beauty and marketing. They taught me about handcrafting processes and the achievement of high quality.
"I've loved art ever since I was little girl. I would be constantly drawing and painting, and I am a photography aficionado. All of my life, I've always been creating new things.
"Handcrafts are not something you sit down and study. You learn through practice. It goes beyond beauty or functionality, it symbolizes a unique cultural link.
"I travel to relax and to learn. To me, the world of handcrafts is complex – it is filled with wisdom and beauty. I have an appreciation for beauty and I interpret the message of each of the items that come to my hands.
"One day I found an Andean wool doll in a local market, and I was greatly impacted by her face, which seemed to express pain and sorrow. I took it in my arms and then saw a little boy with beautiful rosy cheeks playing by my side, so I asked myself, 'where is the pain and sorrow of this boy playing here barefooted?' Suddenly I felt a great urge to express the child's happy expression in a new face, one that is happy and playful.
"Then, as if a miracle had happened, I received an order from a customer for a doll collection, and that's how my series of Andean dolls came to be. I design from what I see in my travels throughout Peru, where I meet wonderful children who tell me their life stories as well as Andean tales. These stories told by children inspire the design of my dolls, and each one has a story for you.
"When I was a little girl I used to love playing school with my sister. I loved to read and write, as well as to paint. I used to play the part of the teacher, teaching everything I had learnt. To this day, I still love to teach something new and innovative and I always share the stories I learn in my travels. I have organized many actualization courses for artisans and designers.
"My job is to communicate and teach all that I have learnt throughout my life and travels. My motivation comes from a love toward children, from recognizing they have place in this world, and from valuing their wisdom. Not all of them have the opportunity to receive an education, but they all have the right to express themselves and explain to the world the importance of laughing, of playing, and of loving. I try to transmit the ability to transform the vision that our history has given us in art and in handicrafts.
"My art is the most treasured gift that life has given me, because through it I can communicate to the world how wonderful and beautiful is our culture.
"The challenges I face are varied, like being a more tranquil and less traveling daughter; dedicating more time to my son and family; and to make time to accomplish all the projects I plan.
"I would like to tell Novica customers that Andean angels represent a link to Peru's history, culture and traditions. They are especially designed for you. Receive in your home today a child and you will see the face of an angel existing within each of us."
Only valid on the Normal shipping option for shipments to 48 Lower US states.
Discounted shipping price may not be applied to previous orders.
This item ships with a free artist storycard, so you can remember who you impacted today. Customized gift messages are also available with every order.
We want you to be 100% satified with your order, so if you are not completely happy with your item, you can return it within 60 days of receiving it.
We pack, ship, certify and 100% guarantee the quality of this item. Watch this video to see how.
This item is available for backorder and will ship within 2 to 8 weeks. Artists love to get backorders. Placing a backorder ensures that the artisan will do their best to create and deliver your item to our local office for shipment.
Although we cannot guarantee availability, we do expect to be able to fill the order within the timeframe indicated. But sometimes life happens - special materials may not be immediately available to the artist, or there might be some other circumstance beyond our control that could delay the shipment.
If for any reason we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will notify you.
In the unlikely even that we are unable to ship the item within the timeframe indicated, we will contact you and provide an updated delivery window.
This item has a special shipping flat fee which means that due to bulk, duties, or other special requirements, the item will be shipped to you via one of our special one-rate services. Shipping is only available to the United States (lower 48 States only).
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
BUST
35 - 36
37 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
WAIST
27 - 28
29 - 30
31 - 33
34 - 36
38 - 40
HIPS
37 - 38
39 - 40
42 - 43
45 - 46
49 - 50
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
CHEST
36 - 38
39 - 41
42 - 44
46 - 48
50 - 52
WAIST
30 - 32
32 - 34
35 - 37
38 - 41
43 - 45
NECK
14 - 14.5
15 - 15.5
16 - 16.5
17 - 17.5
18 - 18.5
SLEEVE
32.5
33.5
34.5
35.5
36.5
FINDING YOUR SIZE
Take your measurements with the tape measure over your under garments. If your measurements fall between sizes you may prefer the next larger size. Inseam, skirt and dress lengths vary by style and will be listed in the item description. Our sweaters are knit in standard American sizes, however actual measurements vary by style.
BUST / CHEST
Measure around the fullest part of chest under the arms and over the shoulder blades keeping the tape measure level.
WAIST
Measure around the smallest part of the waist keeping the tape measure comfortably loose. Most garments use the low waist measurement noted below.
LOW WAIST
Measure around the body approximately 1.5" below the natural waist (above). This is the area where most pants and skirts actually fit.
HIPS
Standing with your heels together, measure around the fullest part of the body approx 7"-8" below the waist.
NECK
Measure around the base of the neck keeping the tape measure comfortably loose.
SLEEVE
Bend elbow slightly and starting at the center back of the neck, measure across the shoulder, to the elbow and down to the wrist.
INSEAM
Our standard inseam length for women is 32" and 34" for men; however inseam measurements will vary slightly by style.
Belts with buckles are measured in inches that correspond to a waist size however, most people do not wear belts on the waist, they wear them closer to the hips. A buckle belt measurement is take from the end of the "pin" of the buckle to the middle hole on the belt. Generally there are 5 holes for size adjustment, with a 1" space between each, so the middle hole will the be average size of the belt.
For at tie belt (no buckle) measure the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This again is the medium size of the belt.
For a soft fabric tie belt it can be called "1 size fits most" and the entire length of the belt should be measured and listed.
See buckle/tie belt size standards below.
WOMEN
S
M
L
XL
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
inches
26 - 30
28 - 32
31 - 35
34 - 38
38 - 42
cm
76 - 86
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
MEN
S
M
L
XL
XXL
inches
30 - 34
32 - 36
35 - 39
39 - 43
43 - 47
cm
81.5 - 91.5
86.5 - 96.5
91.5 - 101.5
96.5 - 106.5
109 - 119
+/- tolerance: 0.5 inches or 1.25 cm
Sash tie length
Lay sash/tie out flat away from the garment and measure from end to end.
Belt with buckle
Measure from the end of the pin of the buckle (where it touches the buckle) to the middle hole.
Belt without buckle
Measure from the belt portion end to end and half of the tie portion. This is will give you the medium size of the belt.
Download our printable ring sizing chart to find the perfect fit!
We refer to these items as "discounted wholesale". Such items carry a deeper wholesale discount than other items, and have greater potential to provide your business with healthier resale margins.
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UNICEF Market offers triple win pricing, where YOU the consumer, Children from around the world, and Artisans all benefit.
WIN # 1 You Save!
Handmade goods from developing nations usually pass through a series of intermediaries before being purchased by retail consumers. Each of these intermediaries adds cost to the product, and that cost is passed on to the customer. UNICEF USA partnered with NOVICA, who works directly with artists through their regional offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America, allowing purchases from UNICEF Market to go directly from the artisans to fulfilling customer orders. By skipping steps in the traditional supply chain, you can buy high quality items for less than the regular retail prices.
WIN # 2 Children Benefit!
Each item purchased from UNICEF Market will benefit UNICEF's programs that provide lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more to children in need.
You can learn more about UNICEF's work, on About UNICEF.
WIN # 3 Artisans Profit!
UNICEF Market artisans set their own prices and control their own businesses. UNICEF Market offers artisans a free platform to sell their work throughout the United States.
