Name/Title
Mexican textile techniquesEntry/Object ID
F1219.3.T4.S29Description
More than four and a half centuries have passed since the Spanish Conquest, yet Mexico is still inhabited by nearly sixty Indian peoples. Many wear highly distinctive costumes and use textile skills inherited from the ancient civilizations of the Aztec and the Maya. Traditional fibres such as cotton and agave fibre are still spun with a spindle and woven on the backstrap loom. Cloth may be elaborately brocaded, gauze-woven to resemble lace, or intricately warp-patterned. This book considers the principal fibres used in modern Mexico and methods of preparation. There is a section on dyes and dyeing procedures such as ikat. Weaving techniques are described in detail, together with methods for embellishing finished cloth such as embroidery and applique. The final chapter concentrates on the wide range of garments which are still worn in contemporary Indian Mexico.Collection
Carol Westfall CollectionLexicon
Search Terms
carol westfall collection, textile fabrics--mexico, weaving--mexicoBook Details
Author
Chloë SayerPublisher
Shire EthnographyDate Published
1997Call No.
F1219.3.T4.S29ISBN
852639708, 9780852639702LCCN
89220064Notes
Length: 64