Mayan textile tradition: Santa Apolonia, Chimaltenango

The huipil of this suit is made from a commercial blanket fabric, with embroidery in the back area that mimic the effect of the brocade, so it is known as “false brocade” technique. The round neck is topped with an eye embroidered stitch, with colored threads, just like sleeves.

The morga or Cut presents a tubular structure, tissue with blue background and white warp stripeswhich can be seen horizontally. It is used rolled at the waist with a single fold.

The girdle is wide and has broken designs in a diversity of colors. The suit is complemented with a commercial fabric ribbon, braided in the hair.

Designs

• Linguistic community: Kaqchikel
• Daily use suit

On this white background huipil, geometric motifs were embroidered, including the design known as jug, with threads in multiple colors. Different color blocks finish off the manga, just like the neck.

On the girdle also colorful threads form geometric figures and zoomorphs in brocade.

This is one of the costumes that belong to The collection of IXCHEL Museum of the indigenous suit, whose support for the publication of this series is fundamental, especially that of its director and curator, Violeta Gutiérrez.

• The information on Mayan clothing costumes presented in this space depends on the temporality and context of the documents and people consulted by the Ixchel Museum.
• In the Mayan textile tradition, elements such as trends in each community influence the personal taste of the bearers and creators of this tradition. In some cases, the data is scarce or vague.

The Mayan clothing series is being published in the D magazine during Sundays. Reserve it within your free press printed copy.