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Description

Paneled blouse or huipil with decorated t-shaped bodice and back; rounded neckline. Panels are continuous over the shoulders with seams on the sides and two seams front and back. Central panels is brown with cream side panels. Decorated portions are vertically ribbed and decorated with green leaves, pink and white flowers with blue, yellow and purple detailing on a dark red ground. Around the scoop neck is a pointed scallop-shaped trim in dark red-brown and orange chain stitches with circles on each shoulder. Border of down pointing chevrons at sleeve openings and v-shapes along bottom. Black straight stitched hem for one half panel, brown for another; centre selvedges at hem, others raw.

Iconographic Meaning

Neckline is said to resemble a sunburst with moon shapes at each shoulder.

History Of Use

Huipil is a traditional tunic-like garment worn by women. It is usually made of 1-3 pieces of back strap loom fabric lengths, joined at side selvedges. The neckline is typical of Chichicastenango.

Specific Techniques

Whole and cut loom widths; the warps, in the cut beige-pink sections appear to be s-spun, 2-ply z; wefts, z spun, 2-ply s. For the central uncut section warps and wefts are z-spun, 2-ply-s. The undecorated portions are warp-faced plain weave. The wefts are mainly paired, with multiple elements in the looser sections. The decorated seams between decorated panels are satin stitched and obliquely interlaced. The neckline has a 3 row chain stitch pattern. The edges and seams are overcast or cross stitched. Hems on the cut panels are running stitched, pulled out in places. The central panels have warp selvedge ends.