![]() Ixchel (Eesh- chell) was the goddess of the moon, of water, of childbirth and of weaving. How does weaving act as a tool for organization among women? In what ways do the videos portray the Mayan art of weaving (ancient or modern technical or basic)? How does Mayan back-strap weaving relate to tourism and to ourselves as consumers here in the north? As the students begin formulating ideas about Mayan women and the art of weaving, here is some important background information. Having the students watch the Mayan Hands’ back-strap weaving videos is an amazing opportunity to use media on the web to bring a far-away cultural reality into the classroom.Īfter watching the videos, students should try and answer the following questions, as well as any others they might formulate or be inspired to ask. Mayan weaving is known for a refined and unique style called back-strap weaving. Mostly, it is the women in these communities who take up the art of weaving at a very young age in fact, weaving is synonymous with a birth-rite for many Mayan girls and is considered an essential part of community life. Women’s clothing identifies the woman as an individual within her culture, as well as communicating traditional Maya beliefs about the universe.Mayan Hands is an organization that promotes the social, economic and historical importance of weaving among Mayan communities in the highlands of Guatemala. Textiles vary by community, and designs and colors are often indicative of a specific village. This is worn with “corte,” a skirt that is tied at the waist with a woven belt. Women’s “traje” or traditional clothes consists of a “huipil” – a blouse made from a square or rectangular piece of woven fabric with a hole in the middle for the head and folded and stitched up the sides with arm holes. While Maya textiles are used for daily clothing and provide protection against nature, they are also incorporated into ancient ceremonies and rituals. This is essential because most artisans are balancing many duties including raising children, maintaining the home, and earning a living through weaving. The equipment needed is light and extremely portable and the apparatus can be set up almost anywhere. Backstrap weaving is an ideal technique for busy indigenous artisans. Brocade weaving allows artisans to create elaborate embroidery-like designs into the weavings. It often features a variety of colors–or mixing different color threads for effect. The colors and design in simple backstrap weaving are created through the thread attached to the loom. Maya Traditions artisans practice two types of weaving: simple backstrap weaving and brocade. One end of the loom is attached to a post or tree via a rope, and the other is attached to the weaver’s body through a strap that wraps around the back, giving the technique its name “backstrap weaving.” A shuttle is used to pass thread through the layers. At the age of eight or nine, Maya girls are taught to weave for the first time, by their mothers, older sisters, and older women.īackstrap weaving is conducted using a simple apparatus that consists of parallel sticks holding in place vertical base threads that are held taut and are cross-woven with horizontal threads running parallel to the sticks. At birth, baby girls are presented with the necessary tools for weaving. Ixchel taught the first woman to weave, and since then the practice has been passed on from mother to daughter, generation after generation. ![]() ![]() She is the deity of fertility and procreation, and represents female empowerment. According to Maya myth, backstrap weaving originated with Ixchel, the Maya Goddess taking numerous forms – Moon, Water, Weaving, and Childbirth. ![]() ![]() Six of our cooperatives employ this technique to create elaborate textiles. The art of backstrap weaving is practiced by many artisans in the highlands of Guatemala and has been indigenous to this region for generations. ![]()
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