The huipil of this suit is woven in waist loom, with white background and thick cotton lines. It has white thread lines and geometric designs in Corinth and navy blue. These brocades help frame the colorful bird embroidery that cover most of the garment.
The neck is round, Topped with crochet fabric and surrounded by hand embroidered by hand.
The cut was woven in looming, with cotton threads. Presents geometric designs and zoomorphs achieved with the Jaspe technique. This suit is characterized by not using traditional girdle; However, at present, many women in the town have adopted the use of this element.
The dog, waist loom tissue, It is characterized by stripes that alternate solid colors with Jaspe designs. At the ends it is topped with knots and small pom poms that are made when wearing the leftover threads of the warp.
It also highlights the iconic headdress, Xk’ap or Tocoyal, A long woven tape with designs at the ends, made in upholstery fabric and silk pompoms. It measures about 20 meters and rises in the head, as a halo.
Design
- Linguistic community: Tz’utujil
- Daily use suit
The Huipil has motifs of birds and flowers embroidered by hand, made with several stitches. It seems that they are organized in each of the boxes formed by the grid. The reason for birds is very characteristic of Santiago Atitlán and can be seen in women’s huipiles and in the pants that men carry. Around the neck, the floral motifs by hand denote the great skills of the embroiders of the place.
The cut presents geometric motifs and zoomorphs, prepared with the technique of dye in reserve, known as Jaspe. Long longitudinal stripes made in the plot divide the patterns into rows.
The XK’AP is a representation of the rainbow, which springs from the breath of a great snake. Likewise, it is a representation of the umbilical cord, which unites sacred women with heavens. “Yaxper, the goddess of childbirth and the midwives, who participated in the creation of the world, was the first to use this headdress.”
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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.