The dress or traje of the Mayan women in the
Highlands of Guatemala are very distinct in pattern and color and vary from
village to village. They are handmade with an array of bright colors woven
into many different designs, some most commonly seen are the zig-zag (cheveron)
pattern and the iconic Quetzal bird (Seen on the Stela 9 Weekender bag!). The
weaving tradition dates back to ancient Mayan civilization, when basic looming
techniques were first used to make traditional wear. Here’s a little
introduction to some of the basic garments worn by Guatemalan women and how they
are made!
Huipil (wee-pil) – The
top or blouse worn by women and is made from cotton. The fabric consists of
cross-stitching with ikat or zig-zag pattern. Though the style remains pretty consistent
throughout Central America, it may be worn in different ways (tucked into skirt
or loose), signifying which village a woman is from. The Huipil is traditionally worn with a Corte (skirt) and a Faja (belt/sash). These beautiful pieces
are handmade with dyed-cotton and a loom and typically take 3-4 months to
finish, if it’s worked on for 4 hours a day.
Here are a few ways these beauties are made:
Here are a few ways these beauties are made:
Hand Looming/Backstrap
Looming: A loom (palita) which is secured from the top is
pulled forward by a backstrap that sits around the waist of a woman who sits
while she is weaving. Movement of the body pulls the weaving apparatus for tension
needed to loom the cotton. The loom is supported by two horizontal wooden beams.
The “weft” threads are the horizontal threads, which are woven into the “warp”
threads, the vertical ones. Sometimes sticks, wood, bamboo or bone needles are
used in the weaving process. This weaving usually takes place in the women’s
home while she cares for her kids and prepares meals.
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| Photo: Begonia Photography |
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| Photo: Adventure-life.com |
Foot looming/The
Treadle Loom: This loom (below) was
introduced to the Mayans after Spanish conquest in 1524. Larger textiles can be
made on this, because it is larger in size. It is a wooden structure that sits
alone, while the artisan controls the foot pedals to power it. It is structured
by two or four long narrow frames (harnesses) that are tied by ropes to a
roller at the top of the loom. The warp
threads pass though looped fiber (the eye) and are drawn down by the
foot-activate treadle. The warps extend from the front and back beams to create
tension (seen in hand looming). This process is much more complex and time
consuming than hand looming.
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| photo: weavolution.com |
Embroidery: This method was exercised by Pre-Colombian weavers, a technique that involves decorative yarn stitchery done with a needle on a ground fabric. Used for intricate designs or adding on additional iconic imagery to the bags.
Looming is a highly
skilled and timely process, but in the end you get gorgeous, intricate, and
unique textiles—the very same fabric used in Stela 9 bags! Enjoy!
Sources: 1. Schevill, Margot, and Christopher Lutz. Maya Textiles of Guatemala: The Gustavus A. Eisen Collection, 1902, the Hearst Museum of Anthropology, the University of California at Berkeley. Austin: University of Texas, 1993. Print.
2.
