Woman's Huipíl (Blouse) with Pink Background

This pink blouse dates to the 1960s, as the bright coloration attests, mirroring a worldwide trend at the time. Yet the flowers remain much like those from 1945, showing how one element of a tradition may shift while others remain the same.

Semi-realistic and yet abstract, these floral motifs may reflect that the country of Guatemala has been called “The Land of a Thousand Flowers” for its verdant, colorful plant life. Europeans had brought floral-patterned cloth to Guatemala centuries before; however, the Maya did not adopt this subject matter into their garments until they chose to, signaling their artistic independence.