ANCIENT CATS - DEER - BEASTS VINTAGE MAYAN WOVEN HUIPIL

WELL HUNG - ART & COLLECTABLES

A MAYAN EXPERIENCE

HUIPILS

THREADS OF TRADITION

WEAVING

GENERATIONS

TOGETHER

 VINTAGE COLLECTOR QUALITY  

HAND WOVEN COTTON 

EMBROIDERY AND WOOL ARE ALSO USED AT TIMES IN SOME OF THE WEAVINGS

HUIPIL  (  WEE - PEEL )

A WONDERFUL VINTAGE TRADITIONAL HUIPIL

COVERED IN

SPECTACULAR GEOMETRIC DESIGNS

MYTHICAL ANIMALS AND CATS

DEER AND DIAMOND MOTIFS

THE DIAMONDS REPRESENT THE MAYAN UNIVERSE

THE FOUR POINTS

NORTH - SOUTH

EAST AND WEST

A VERY BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE TRADITIONAL HUIPIL FROM THIS VILLAGE

THE WOMEN OF THIS VILLAGE LOVE THEIR HUIPILS

THERE IS MUCH CERISE IN THEM

IT RUNS AND STAINS EACH TIME THEY WASH THEIR HUIPIL

BUT IT GIVES A WONDERFUL SOFTENING EFFECT

THE MORE THE BLOUSE IS WASHED THE SOFTER IT GETS

 SELLING IN THE MARKET PLACES FOR $300 - $1000  

THIS IS NOT A MACHINE MADE FOR THE TOURIST MARKET HUIPIL BEING SOLD IN MANY PLACES 

MAYA INDIAN GUATEMALA

FROM THE  SOLOLA REGION OF GUATEMALA

FROM THE VILLAGE OF NAHUALA

" PLACE OF THE NAHUAL "

A HUMAN SPIRIT PERSONIFIED IN ANIMAL FORM

FROM THE MAYA  QUICHE

NAHUALA

LYING ON VOLCANIC ROCK ON THE EDGE OF THE

NAHUALATE RIVER CANYON HAS LITTLE FERTILE SOIL

FOR MANY YEARS LADINOS AND FOREIGNERS WERE NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER NAHUALA AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO BUY TOWN LANDS OR SET UP MISSIONS WERE REJECTED

THESE PEOPLE ARE SPECIAL - SURLY AND INDEPENDENT TRYING IN VAIN TO PROTECT THEIR VILLAGE FROM THE ENCROACHING LADINO AND HIS VICES

IN FACT UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO NO INTRUDERS WERE ALLOWED IN THE VILLAGE AFTER NIGHTFALL NOT EVEN THE LOCAL PRIEST - VISITORS HAD TO LEAVE BEFORE SUNSET

HALF THE MEN ARE RUMORED TO BE

BRUJOS - TRADITIONAL PRAYER MEN - SHAMANS

MY WIFE AND I HAVE THE GREAT HONOUR OF BECOMING FRIENDS WITH  MASTER WEAVER  AMALIA AND HER FAMILY AND FREINDS

SHE IS FROM THE CHIMALTENANGO REGION OF GUATEMALA

SHE HAS ALLOWED USE TO SHARE SOME OF HER PERSONAL CREATIONS FROM HER OWN COLLECTION OF OUTSTANDING HUIPILS THAT SHE AND HER FREINDS HAVE HAND WOVEN ON A BACK STRAP LOOM AND WORN

THE MASTER WEAVERS ARE THE SERVANTS OF THE SAINTS, WHO CARE FOR ANS STUDY THE OLDEST HUIPILS AND BECOME THE RECOGNIZED SCHOLARS OF THEIR WEAVING TRADITION

THESE ARE COLLECTOR QUALITY AND RANGE IN AGE FROM 1 TO 15 YEARS OLD AND THE VINTAGE HUIPILS AND TEXTILES ARE FROM 15 TO 50 YEARS OLD AND OLDER

UNLIKE HUIPILS MADE TODAY FOR THE TOURIST TRADE WITH MACHINES THESE ARE HAND WOVEN USING TRADITIONAL COTTON THREADS ON A HAND HELD OR BACK STRAP LOOM. IT CAN TAKES MONTHS TO PRODUCE ONE HUIPIL

THE SIDE SEAMS ARE EITHER LEFT OPEN OR SEWN UP JUST ENOUGH TO PROVIDE ARM OPENINGS. WHICH MAKES THE HUIPIL EASY TO ENLARGE THE ARM  AND NECK OPENING IT IS TO BE WORN OR OPENED FOR DISPLAY

HUIPILS ARE WORN AS A BLOUSE TUCKED IN OR AS AN OUTER PONCHO

HUIPILS FROM THE LOWLAND REGIONS ARE MADE FROM A LIGHTER COTTON BECAUSE OF THE HEAT AND THE BACK AND FRONT PANELS ARE GENERALLY WOVEN TOGETHER WITH ARM HOLES. THE WEAVING CAN EASILY BE OPENED

HUIPILS FROM THE HIGHLAND REGIONS ARE MADE FROM A HEAVIER COTTON FOR WARMTH AND THE FRONT AND BACK PANELS GENERALLY ARE LEFT OPEN

COLLECTORS TODAY USE INNOVATIVE METHODS TO DISPLAY THERE COLLECTIONS SUCH AS - WALL HANGINGS - TABLE OR FURNITURE COVERINGS OR FRAMED WITH THE NECK OPENING USED TO DISPLAY PAINTINGS OR PICTURES  ETC.

HUIPILS

HUIPIL ( WEE - PEEL )

 IS A SPANISH TERM FOR A MAYAN WOMAN'S BLOUSE - IT IS THE MOST PERSONAL, COMMUNICATIVE AND SIGNIFICANT PART OF HER TRAGE OR COSTUME, AND THE GREATEST FORM OF THE MAYAN CULTURE'S WEAVING HERITAGE

IT IS USED TO IDENTIFY THE SPECIFIC VILLAGE OF THE WEARER - SOMETIMES HER SOCIAL. MARITAL STATUS, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, WEALTH, AUTHORITY AND INDIVIDUALITY

IN THE MID 1960'S THERE WERE OVER 200 DIFFERENT TRAGE STYLES IN GUATEMALA. UNFORTUNATELY TODAY THIS NUMBER HAS GREATLY DECLINED. EACH VILLAGE HAS ITS OWN STYLE AND COLORS

WELL WOVEN TRAGES ( HUIPILS ) ARE VERSATILE AND DURABLE. THIS CREATES AN EXCELLENT CHANCE FOR A COLLECTOR TO OWN A PIECE OF MAYA CULTURE AND HISTORY

THE WIDTH AND LENGHT OF THE HUIPIL ARE DEPENDENT ON ITS AGE, REGIONAL PREFERENCES, LOOM WIDTH AND OCCASION FOR WHICH IT IS WORN

A HUIPIL REPRESENTS  EXPRESSION AND PRIDE AMOUNG THE MAYA

MAYA WEAVING

ACCORDING TO MAYA QUICHE MYTHOLOGY OF THE NEW EMPIRE 

 AD  987  TO  1697  ON OUR CALENDAR

IXCHEL, THE MOON GODDESS, CONSORT OF ITZAMAN, THE SUN GOD, WAS THE PATRON OF WEAVING. THE DAUGHTER OF THE SUN AND MOON GODS, IXCHEBEL YAX, IS THE PATRON OF BROCADING AND EMBROIDEREY

THE MAYA TODAY WEAVES THE FINEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL TEXTILES ON A HIP OR BACK - STRAP LOOM AND SOMETIMES A FOOT LOOM

WHILE THE DESIGNS ON THE WEAVING APPEAR TO BE EMBROIDERED IN MOST THEY ARE ACTUALLY CREATED AS THE FABRIC IS WOVEN

THIS TECHNIQUE USES 3 TYPES OF BROCADING

1.  SINGLE FACED  -  PATTERN IS VISIBLE ONLY ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE WEAVING. REVERSE SIDE SHOWS ONLY THE PLAIN GROUND WEAVE

2.  TWO FACED  -  THE INVERSE IMAGE OF THE BROCADED PATTERN ON THE FRONT APPEARS ON THE BACK OF THE WEAVING

3.  DOUBLE FACED  -  THE MOST COMPLICATED AND HIGHLY VALUED  -  THE PATTERN IS VISIBLE ON THE BACK AND FRONT OF THE WEAVING

CONTEMPORARY DESIGNS HAVE 4 BASIC FORMS:

1. - DIAMONDS  -  WHICH SYMBOLIZE THE EARTH AND SKY AS A UNITY

2. - UNDULATING FORMS  -  LIKE SNAKES - WHICH SYMBOLIZE THE FERTILE EARTH

3. - FORMS WITH 3 VERTICAL LINES  -  WHICH SYMBOLIZE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD - THE COMMUNITY - AND ITS HISTORY

4. - FIGURES  -  SUCH AS TOADS ( THE MUSICIANS OF THE RAIN ) - BIRDS - ANIMALS - PATRON SAINTS - ETC.

HUIPILS OF COLLECTOR QUALITY TODAY DEMAND A PRICE BETWEEN $300 TO $1000

SIZE

WIDTH  -  28 "

LENGTH  -  26 1/2 "

LENGTH FULLY OPEN  -  53 "

IN EXCELLENT VINTAGE CONDITION

 BECAUSE OF AGE AND USE THERE MAY BE SLIGHT WEAR - MARKS AND FADING

AS WITH ANY HAND MADE ITEM THERE MAY BE SOME NATURAL IMPERFECTIONS. WHICH SETS EACH HUIPIL APART FROM THE NEXT. NO TWO ARE THE SAME. EACH IS IT'S OWN UNIQUE CREATION

SHIPPING COST FROM GUATEMALA

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