Equipale comes from the Aztec word icpalli meaning "seat" and this traditional furniture type can be traced back to pre-Hispanic times. Cortez accorded equipales as seats of honor to dignitaries of the time. Considered a sumptuary object, it represented social status. It is said that Montezuma, Gods and shamans all had an equipale chair denoting their power.

Equipales can be made of leather from pig or cow, willow, cedar wood, or ixtle, a derivative of the cactus. Whichever combination is used, they are woven together with natural fibers. It is still used today all over Mexico and is considered an important part of Mexican culture.

In the village of Zacoalco, 50 minutes away from Guadalajara along the highway to Ciudad Guzmán, over three hundred families earn their livelihood from producing these rustic cane and leather chairs. Here you will find Corporación Equipales S.C. de R.L., a coop of families dedicated to preserving this traditional type of furniture but also offering more modern styles and designs. The coop is 100% Mexican, created to continue the making of this very special furniture.

Uniquely Mexican, equipales are still made in the traditional way. They can be tanned so they are waterproof and do not degrade in the heat. Equipales from Corporación Equipales S.C. de R.L. are still made with palo de rosa - the same as the original equipales. The wood is cut on a full moon, because it is believed that the wood is the hardest then.

If you are interested in purchasing equipales, contact Marianne Carlson at 011522 376 765 7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com