Browse Items (254 total)

This jaspé tzut shows the use of tie-dyed warps in weaving. Repeatedly dipped in indigo and tied off to preserve white stripes, warps were laboriously prepared before weaving. When untied and placed on the loom in the proper sequence, then the weft…

Finely woven cloths covered altars in Catholic churches in Maya territory, and this example with ancient Maya animal motifs highlights the ever-present syncretism (overlap) between the two religious systems. The vibrant purple was likely achieved by…

During the Spanish Conquest of modern-day Guatemala, missionaries formed cofradías (religious confraternities) for the indigenous people in an effort to cement the Catholic Church in every community. Cofradía members were responsible for the rituals…

This blouse dates from around 1945 and maintains the purple and pink palette and the radiating neck embroidery seen in earlier examples. However, it also shows the beginning of the later Chichicastenango design trajectory in the adoption of large…

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…

Clearly, the 1980s saw a brightening of the Maya blouse color palette. Vast pink and purple plain areas became common, reflecting the same value placed on those prestigious colors as in the past; however, they were solely accomplished through…

Contemporary Chichicastenango examples feature an almost neon palette and may combine a traditional love of geometry with a new emphasis on flowers. A type of imagery that is often seen on traditional Chichicastenango huipiles is lines of zigzags…

Although some Maya women, in recent times especially, choose to wear white Western-style wedding gowns, many continue to don fine traditional Maya blouses, skirts, and belts. The bride’s garments are wedding gifts from her future husband and his…

Unlike jackets, which were introduced by the Spanish, capes date back to representations of ancient Maya rulers. Light red with brocaded animals, this would have been worn by a santo over his camisa. The upper register features birds, while the…

Unlike jackets, which were introduced by the Spanish, capes date back to representations of ancient Maya rulers. Light red with brocaded animals, this would have been worn by a santo over his camisa. The upper register features birds, while the…