Huipil White bottom and highly intricate, fine, multicolor design

Huipil White bottom and highly intricate, fine, multicolor design

Anonymous Artisan

Textiles

28” x 31”

Ancient Maya religion included a goddess of weaving, Ix Chel. She is often shown wearing a backstrap loom, which is the traditional Maya loom. Throughout contemporary Maya culture, weaving and embroidery remain widespread. The huipil, a loose fitting tunic, is still by far the most common apparel among Maya women. Each garment is unique and may require two or three months to complete, and each village has developed a distinctive design. Textiles are an integral part of Maya identity and of both everyday and ceremonial life.

This vintage huipil is from Nebaj, Guatemala, last half of the 20^th Century.