The Mayan Textiles – The Mayan Civilization
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The Maya developed a splendid civilization, in which they had a rich textile tradition that has managed to survive despite the passage of time. Throughout the world, aspects such as monumental architecture and their complex writing system are well known, but their rich textile tradition has also endured.
It was the goddess of the moon, Ixchel, who bestowed upon women the art of weaving; she gave them looms and instructed them on the sacred symbols to be used to illustrate the fabrics… However, with globalization, population migrations, industrialization of textile production, and the emergence of new fabrics, this ancestral art is being lost, but fragments remain.
Exoticism, color, variety, and beauty are terms that travelers have repeatedly used to describe the art of dressing in this historically rich people settled in the territories of Mexico and Guatemala.
An exhibition that testifies to such descriptions is being showcased in some European cultural centers. It is titled «With their Hands and their Eyes: Maya Weavings, Mirrors of a Cosmovision.» The exhibition is currently in Catalonia, Spain.
Around 300 pieces of clothing and garments woven by Maya women from Guatemala and Mexico, sourced from private collections and ethnological museums in Berlin, Amsterdam, Leiden, and Antwerp, are being displayed at the cultural center of the prestigious Caixa Girona institution. The exhibition showcases representations of the clothing from 12 of the 28 linguistic groups that currently exist in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras.
The objective of the exhibition is to shed light on how this pre-Hispanic artistic expression has endured until now, as explained by the curators of the exhibition, Mireille Holsbeke and Julia Montoya.
Mireille Holsbeke is a Belgian art and archaeology connoisseur, specializing in ethnic art, and has served as a curator at the Ethnographic Museum of Antwerp. Julia Montoya is Guatemalan and has resided in Belgium since 1977, where she has studied textile techniques in Ghent. Since 1987, she has conducted independent research on Maya culture and textiles.
The exhibition introduces visitors to the history and culture of the Maya through one of their most unique artistic and symbolic expressions: textiles and clothing. The curators view clothing as a second skin or «social skin» and consider authentic textiles as means of communication.
The diversity of Maya clothing corresponds to their cultural complexity. The garments contain cultural codes and socio-political statuses, in addition to showcasing technical refinement. Rank, lineage, and prestige were marked in this «social skin,» which is clothing, both for men and women.
The textiles and garments personalize and differentiate those who wear them and serve to identify the wearer’s origin, marital status, social status, among other details. Based on the colors and length of a skirt, one can determine which community a woman belongs to, whether she is single, married, or widowed, and the importance she holds within her group.
The exhibition catalog also analyzes the influence of Maya cosmology on the motifs that adorn the textiles. It is evident that contemporary weavers are largely unaware of the symbolism, although they continue to work with traditional patterns. Before and after the conquest, the Maya faced pressures to forget their own history and mythology, but studies reveal that their garments still bear emblems of their complex belief system, gods, heroes, or fertility symbols.
One of the objectives set by the exhibition curators is to provide visitors with guidelines to «read» the textiles and garments. The exhibition includes 49 mannequins dressed in complete outfits, from hats to belts, blouses, skirts, and other garments, showcasing women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing, as well as festive and ceremonial attire, with a particular emphasis on traditional blouses known as «huipils.»
The oldest piece in the exhibition dates back to the late 19th century, while the most recent is from 2002. The curators have emphasized the difficulties of finding ancient pieces due to the climate not being conducive to preservation and because Maya tradition dictated that when someone died, they should be buried with all their belongings.
Although the majority of the exhibition pieces were crafted by women, there are also some accessories made by men. The exhibition, which can be seen in Girona until March 28th, also explains the process of creation and the tools used in the weaving and garment-making.
The exhibition catalog explains that for many centuries, the art of Maya weaving had the purpose of transmitting cultural values and traditions. Therefore, they used images whose symbolism was understood by all members of the community. Individual taste and creativity were subordinated to the communicative task, and any changes made by the artists were not accepted in the past nor in the present, which has allowed this form of dress to endure.
The motifs in Maya clothing served as more than just a means to preserve their ancient worldview and subtly introduce it into the imposed postcolonial culture. Over the centuries, this people have been able to withstand the influence of new fashion trends in their attire, slowly embracing some innovations. Weaving has served as a connection to the past, and therefore, some see it as a surprising revolutionary resource.
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