Guatemalan Textile Study Collection

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Department of Huehuetenango

San Mateo Ixtatan, Todos Santos Cuchumatan, Huehuetenango
San Mateo Ixtatan Chuj language group

**GH9 Embroidered Huipil top (cut away frombody and overdyed with light blue) San Mateo Ixtatan, Huehuetenango**
state, Chuj speaking group in the far Northwest of Guatemala. Rowe says it’s the only Chuj village with a costume that is documented. 2- 4 layers of commercial cotton (muslin) ground covered with embroidery in large cotton or acrylic in “false satin stitch. The needle catches a small amount of fabric at the edge of the design before crossing the pattern area on the front” sez Rowe. Worn outside the skirt. Collected by Anne Kissack in the early 1970’s
Detail

**GH17 “Huipil” woman’s blouse from Todos Santos Cuchumatan, Mam speaking group, Guatemala.**
Backstrap woven warp faced cotton 3 panels, 32 inches to the shoulder. Center panel red and white with blue and green pin stripes, 12 inches wide, Side panels red with blue stripes, white pin stripes, 12 inches wide. Discontinuous supplementary weft brocade, wool/acrylic, in bright colored zig zags between stripes of weft faced red wool/acrylic, center panel only, front and back. Cotton fabric with rick rack sewn on it in radiating design
and velvet around neck. Lolli purchased from Kim Burda (selling for a friend) 1989 – 1990 $15
Detail

**GB3** **Todos Santos Cuchumatan.**
Bag made from a huipil from the
center panel of a huipil with discontinuous supplementary weft brocade designs of zig zags and diamonds, little bit of rick rack neck edge at zipper/top edge. Edge and strap of striped fabric.
Lolli bought at a Thrift Shop for $2.75

Detail

GH 38 “Huipil” woman’s blouse from Todos Santos Cuchumatan?
Backstrap woven warp faced white cotton, 2 panels 15 inches wide, 26 inches to shoulder. Bottom half: 1 inch bands of cotton discontinuous supplementary weft showing white background in zig zag designs, mostly red, occasional green, purple, blue. Top half solid discontinuous supplementary weft brocade, cotton, mostly red some blue and green diamonds and zig zags all the way to edges. No rick rack at edge, rather sewn on red velvet.
Gift from Kendal Smith, Fall 2021

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GP6 Men’s pants from Todos Santos Cuchumatan?, Mam speaking
group, Guatemala.
Backstrap woven warp faced mostly red with blue & white stripes cotton 8 ½ inch panel each leg, 37 inches long, with crotch gusset and blue & white cord joining the panels. Worn with slit black wool second trousers, mostly covering crotch. Sonya Popow bought at Gigi’s for $85. Donated to PTArts Fall 2021
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Department of El Quiche

Nebaj, Cotzal, and Chajul – sister pueblos.
Ixil group, Santo Tomas Chichicastenango, and Zacualpa
Santa Maria Nebaj Ixil language group

**GBL9 Woman’s skirt Belt/sash from Nebaj** Backstrap woven warp
faced cotton in red and white stripe ground, pointed on both ends from pulling weft in tighter, ending in cut warp ends. 4 inches wide, 112 inches long. Has a section of discontinuous supplementary multicolored cotton weft diamonds that start from one end only and run 28 inches and can’t be seen on the back. From Susan Maresco, Spring 2019. She says its from the 1970’s or earlier.
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**GH32 “Huipil” woman’s blouse from San Juan Cotzal (Sez Marlene Placido)**
Guatemala. Backstrap woven warp faced black cotton base, 4 selvedge, 3 panels, center 18 in. wide, sides 7 in. wide. 24 inches to shoulder. Center panel 18 – 20 inches of Discontinuous supplementary cotton weft brocade of birds and diamonds (front and back). Side panels less extensive chain stitch embroidery around neck area. Donated by Sandy Berrigan, Fall 2021, who bought it in Antigua in the 1980’s.
Detail

**GH33 “Huipil” woman’s blouse from San Juan Cotzal? Guatemala.**
Backstrap woven warp faced black cotton base, much faded in center panel, with additional cotton sheeting sewn on to cut bottom. 3 panels, center & sides each 14 in. wide. Discontinuous supplementary cotton weft brocade of deer, human couples, and geometrics. Commercial black cotton sheeting added to bottom of 4
selvedge to make it longer, probably not done by the weaver. Commercial embroidered flowers stitched to neck with added crochet edging. Donated by Sandy Berrigan, Fall 2021, who bought it in Antigua in the 1980’s.
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**GSH3 Shawl or Runner, Nebaj**
24 X 60 including fringe. Backstrap woven black cotton, overdyed with pale gold (muting the colors). With loosely spaced discontinuous supplementary cotton weft figures of large birds, women, horses and geometrics, none showing on the back.

**GBL10 Belt/sash from Nebaj**
Backstrap woven, 4 selvedge (loops at the ends) warp faced cotton in Red, white, and smaller black stripe ground, narrower for the last 8 inches on both ends from grouping warps in multiples to make a 1 ½ inch band at the end of the 3/ ½ inch wide belt, 92 inches long. Has a section of discontinuous supplementary multicolored cotton weft diamonds that start from one end only and running 28 inches and can’t be seen on the back. Very clean and new looking. From Holly Brackmann, Winter 2016.
Detail

**GHT3 Woman’s Head/Hair wrap, Nebaj (Santa Maria)**
Backstrap woven warp faced cotton with two wide redstripes bordered by multicolored smaller stripes 16 inches wide and 132 inches long!, including the 6 or 8 pom poms hung by little flat woven cords from the ends (folded and sewn into a point). A section of discontinuous supplementary cotton weft brocade of diamonds starts 12 inches up from one end only and goes for 12 inches. “The Nebaj woman’s hairdress is one of the most grandiose in all of Guatemala” sez Ann Pollard Rowe. p 139 *A Centery of Change in Guatemalan Textiles* shows it being put on.
From Anne Kissack, spring 2008. She bought it in Guatemala in the early 1970’s.
Detail

**GHT4 Woman or child’s Head/hair wrap, Nebaj** Backstrap woven warp faced cotton with two wide red stripes bordered by multicolored smaller stripes 9 ½ inches wide and 73 inches long (shorter than woman’s, leading me to believe this may be for a child.) No pom poms from the folded and sewn into a point ends. A section of discontinuous supplementary cotton weft brocade of diamonds starts 12 inches up from one end only and goes for 8 inches. From Susan Maresco, Spring 2019. She says its from the 1970’s or earlier.

Zacualpa (north east of Chichicastenango)

**GH12 Little girls Huipil from Zacualpa.** Has a masking tape label saying “Comalapa, San Juan __ute,” Backstrap woven warp faced cotton in 2 panels 9 inches wide with randa at neck. Strong yellow and red. 15 inches long at the shoulder with discontinuous supplementary cotton weft brocade. front and back at the neck only in the unique zig zag unique to this village. Lolli bought at a thrift shop in Panajachel, 1995 Q30 / $6
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**GH18** **“Huipil” woman’s blouse from Zacualpa**
Backstrap woven cotton warp faced, 2 panels, 14 inch each, in red with green pin stripe ground, 27 inches to the shoulder. Panels joined by multicolored *randa* of blanket stitch. Discontinuous supplementary cotton weft brocade the heavy zig zag/arrow twined look unique to this village, top 8 inches of the shoulder, front and back.
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Santo Tomas CHICHICASTENANGO (in the far south of El Quiche)

**GH23** “**Huipil” from Chichicastenango, Guatemala**
Backstrap woven warp faced white cotton ground, 4 selvedge, 3 panels with discontinuous supplementary raised surface weft brocade dots (stars?) front and back solar plexus area. With appliqué sun burst around neck & roundels (moons) on top of shoulders. Gift from Becky Evans, College of the Redwoods, Spring 2008
Detail

**GH24** “**Huipil” from Chichicastenango, Guatemala**
Backstrap woven warp faced white cotton ground, 4 selvedge, 3 panels with discontinuous supplementary raised surface weft brocade dots (stars) front and back solar plexus area. Appliqué sun burst around neck & moon roundels on top of shoulders.
Lolli bought at the South San Francisco Saint Vincent de Paul for $9.50, 1995

**GH25** “**Huipil” from Chichicastenango,** Guatemala
Backstrap woven warp faced tan cotton ground, 4 selvedge (showing the last sheds), 3 panels with discontinuous supplementary raised weft brocade flowers (started in use in the 1960’s, an adaptation of European cross-stitch embroidery books says Rowe) on front and back solar plexus area. Chain stitch sun burst around neck, moon roundels on top of shoulders.
Lolli bought from Albertina Lopez Cumez. $40 1980’s?
Detail

**GH26 “Huipil” from Chichicastenango,** Guatemala
Backstrap woven warp faced handspun natural brown cotton coyuche/ixcaco (also for weft) ground, 4 selvedge, 3 panels. Center 11 inch, sides 8 ½) joined by multicolored randa in blanket stitch. Design area Discontinuous supplementary weft brocade “velvet” (raised brocade unique to Chichi) flowers (see above), in wool/acrylic/rayon on front and back solar plexus area. With appliqué sun burst around neck and moon roundels on top of shoulders.
Donated by Sandy Berrigan, Fall 2021.
She bought it on the streets of Antigua in the 1980’s.
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**GF8** “**Tzute” from Chichicastenango,** Guatemala.
2 Backstrap woven warp faced cotton panels, each 10 inches wide, joined by full length blanket stitch multi-colored cotton *randa* in blanket stitch for total of 20 X 29 inches. Hemmed at warp end edge. 1 panel green cotton ground, the other green and black warp face ground, with cotton discontinuous supplementary raised surface weft brocade, flowers and mostly diamonds. Anne Kissack bought it in Guatemala in the late 1970’s. Gifted to PTArts 2021.
Detail

**GF9** **Placemat from Zacualpa**, Guatemala.
12 X 22 inches. Backstrap
woven warp faced blue cotton with orange pin stripe. Discontinuous supplementary cotton weft brocade in the heavy zig zag/arrow twined look unique to this village, last 1 inch of each end.
Tourist item?
Lolli bought at a Thrift Shop for 70 cents.

**GF5 Man’s Cofradia? “Tzute” from Chichicastenango, Guatemala.**
2 Backstrap woven warp faced cotton 4 selvedge panels, 15 inches each, joined by full length blanket stitch multi-colored cotton *randa* of multi-colored blanket stitch for total of 30 x 31 inches. Purple Tassels all 4 corners. Red with black pin stripe cotton ground with cotton discontinuous supplementary raised surface weft brocade.
Zig zag (stylized double headed eagles?) and dots (stars?) Alice Knapp bought at a sale at the Mendocino Art Center
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Department of Alta Verapaz (‘Upper True Peace’)

COBAN and other villages, Kekchi language group

**GH20 “Huipil” from Coban,(Santo Domingo) Guatemala**
Backstrap woven transparent gauze / plain weave (what Lily de Jongh Osborne calls ‘shadow weave’) white cotton with Discontinuous supplementary weft brocade white on white cotton (called *pikbil)*, small geometrics and horses? 1 panel 34 inches wide, 24 inches to shoulder. With embroidery around neck & sleeve, both sides. See “*Sheer Elegance: Surviving Strands of Ancient Maya Weaving”* Video by Endangered Threads on YouTube
Detail

**GH21 Woman’s** **Wedding** **blouse/dress from Coban**
White on White Pikbil Backstrap woven warp faced panels with discontinuous supplementary weft brocade. European styled with ruffled neck with yellow ribbon that ran. From Jennifer Harris? #36
Detail

**GH22** **Back strap woven huipil Panel. Coban, Alta Vera Paz**
4 selvedge 13 X 35 inches, white on white handspun? cotton. Basket weave (2 X 2 plain weave) ground. Weft stripes of twisted warp (leno Called *calado*) 2 X 2 with inlaid (in the basket weave shed) discontinuous supplementary weft design of animals (deer? Horses?), and geometrics, in the method unique to Coban of letting the inlaid weft turns show on the front face of the fabric. Donated by Erda Kappeler in 2015. She bought it from Gordon Frost for $12 in the 1970’s or 80’s.
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Department of Quezaltenango
Kiche language group
Quezaltenango, Zunil, Salcaja

**GH14 “Huipil” from Quezaltenango ,** Guatemala.
Backstrap woven warp faced cotton in 3 panels each 14 inches wide.
From the bottom: Natural white colored cotton plain weave ground woven on treadle looms (which will be tucked in to skirt) with weft faced stripes of magenta and black followed by yellow bands of discontinuous supplementary weft inlay of rhomboids, weft faced ikatI/jaspeand magenta stripes. Embroidered flowers down the panel join and around the neck commercially embroidered?.

**GH16** **“Huipil” from** **Quezaltenango?**
Backstrap woven warp faced white cotton base, hemmed, interesting white weave structure meets the discontinuous supplementary weft
brocade cotton of yellow and blue Birds and flowers. 3 panel, pleated at edge of torso. Green velvet neck and arm hole edging sewn on. Zipper at neck…
Collected by Anne Kissack early 1970’s, donated to PTArts 2020
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Salcaja (San Luis)
Where most of the ikat/jaspeado skirt fabrics are tied, dyed, & woven

**GB5 Repurposed (old) skirt fabric Bag.** Cottonwarp single faced
ikat/*jaspe* with machine embroidered flowers (often used on the neck of huipils) on the front. Made for the tourist trade. Most likely the skirt fabric from Salcaja. 13W 11L inches with 47 inch strap.
Used to store tapestry woven hair ribbons and some belts at PTArts
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**GB6 Repurposed skirt fabric Bag** Overdyed in purple, popular for
tourist items in the 1980’s.
One fabric ikat dyed, probably from Saljaca, another commercially woven fabric from Huehuetenango?, with pocket of machine embroidered flowers on white damask rayon from a Huehuetenango huipil? Popular for non-village specific huipils (made popular during the war on indigenous peoples in the 1980’s.)
Used to store some Guatemalan belts/sashes at PTArts

**GB7 Repurposed skirt fabric Bag**
Warp faced ikat/*jaspe* stripes
(Indigo and white, Indigo and red) with stripes of solid brown. Used at PTArts to store ikat warp chains and yarns.
Detail

Department of Totonicapan –
Kiche language group
Tapestry woven head/hair bands/ribbons Cintas.

Attributed to Totonicapan (San Cristobal? San Miguel?), although worn and woven on small 2 harness looms in many places including Zunil. (see Carmen Petersen Maya of Guatemala: Life and Dress pages 30 & 68; 46 & 120; 170, 188; and Chandler, Cordon, Coca Traditional Weavers of Guatemala p 46 – 51; and Chandler A Textile Traveler’s Guide to Guatemala p 47 & 60) In Motifs and colors of the villages where they are sold. Small tapestries (discontinuous weft faced) covering cotton warp, with multiple intricate recognizable and geometric designs. The most spectacular use as women’s head wear in Santiago Atitlan, Solola District, and are woven there.