Huipil Dark blue/green bottom
Anonymous Artisan
Textiles
24” x 25”
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.
The woman who made this huipil told us it took her three years to make it. The fabric is woven from “aleman,” which is silk and cotton hand spun together, and the embroidery is pure silk. The huipil is unique because it incorporates designs from both Chichicastenango and Nebaj, Guatemalan villages.