Description

This is a cotton huipil made by an Amuzgo weaver from Oaxaca, Mexico. The Amuzgo indigenous people live in the border region of southeastern Guerrero and southwestern Oaxaca. Textiles are an important part of Amuzgo culture and economy and although weaving is painstaking and time-consuming, most Amuzgo women do it along with farming and household chores because it brings in money to the household. The embroidery and weaving designs of Amuzgo textiles have significance and are passed down from generation to generation. The patterns identify various Amuzgo communities as well as Amuzgo identity, with the designs considered to be a kind of “alphabet” by Amuzgo weavers. The weaving is done on a backstrap loom. Cloth destined for huipils is joined together by complicated and decorative hand stitching. Huipils made from cloth 45 cm wide take about four months to complete, working four hours a day.