PROVENANCE
This piece was woven on a traditional backstrap loom.  We cannot guarantee the cotton threads were dyed using natural materials, as the weavers in Santa Maria Nebaj purchase their loom supplies.
 
Artist:  Unknown
Date Procured:  April 1, 2025
Region:  Santa Maria Nebaj, Guatemala
Style:  Typical style of Santa Maria Nebaj, Guatemala
Langua Group:  Ixil Maya
Age:  Approximately 5 Years Old
Material:  100% Cotton 
Composition:  Balanced Weave (Warp and Weft are the same)
EPI (Ends Per Inch for the Warp):  16
PPI (Picks Per Inch for the Weft):  16
Pieces:  Two woven panels that are joined in the centre.  The side seams are closed on this piece, so it is ready to be worn after a few adjustments to the arm holes. 
 
MOTIFS SEEN IN THIS HUIPIL & OTHER INFORMATION
 
Huipils from Santa Maria Nebaj are considered the most tribal of the Maya world.  There was a time when these garments were dangerous to wear, as Santa Maria Nebaj was at the centre of the guerilla warfare that lasted for 30 years and resulted in an unfathomable amount of violence that rendered the village a place of many widows.  Today, these pieces have been reclaimed by the local townspeople and are worn with pride.  
 
This piece is like a tapestry of animals, and remains the only piece I have personally seen in this style.  I procured it in the textile mercado of Nebaj from a lovely woman named Maria.  It was the only piece like this from her vast collection.  It features many traditional designs including the corn-stock milpa, which represents agriculture, baskets full of birds, which also have an hourglass symbol on the basket, which represents good health, prosperity and longevity (the Maya equivalent of wealth).  The symbol that has a double row of coloured lines is a hair comb.  The birds with the long tails are quetzals, which are the most important bird of the ancient Maya civilization.  The baby birds with the big birds represent family, as do the deer with baby birds.  What is interesting here, is the absence of men on this huipil, as often huipils show men, women and their children. In this case, the human figures on this garment are all women, which is an homage to the fact that Santa Maria Nebaj is known as the Village of Widows, due to the violent civil war that ravaged their population, rendering many men killed or disappeared.  The violence was so terrible, enough fled to Campeche and Quintana-Roo in Mexico for them to be classified as regions where Ixel Maya is spoken.  The fact that the weaver chose to create a piece absent of men is of historical interest.  The neckline for this piece represents the sun.  A wonderful tapestry of design with an expression of the trauma that has affected generations of families in this community, and the incredible strength of the women who held it all together.  
 
MEASUREMENTS
This piece does not have side seams, so can be tailored for you. The height represents the shoulder to waist.   
 
Chest Measurement: 36" Across (72" Circumfrance when sewn together)
Total Height: 26" (Total length of the cloth is 52")


ALL PIECES ARE SHIPPED AS FOUND
 
Restoring art pieces can harm the value if the piece is altered in the process.  Many huipiles of today are altered and repaired to extend its life, and many others are cut into patches and sewn into new garments, table runners, quilts, purses and so on.  As we are not conservators nor tailors, we sell our pieces exactly as we found them.  If you would like to alter your piece, at least you are receiving it in the condition it was found and sold.

This piece is in excellent condition.  The ends are not hemed, but are fastened.  Many artists of this region use velvet to bind seams, arm holes and necklines, so this is a consideration if you are tailoring this to wear.
 
 
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR HUIPIL 

Always turn your huipil inside-out before drying it, and never hang it in direct sunlight.  Many weavers store their huipiles inside out to preserve the designs.  

Hand wash in room temperature water.  Some dyes can release colour, so never wash in warm water.  If you do see any bleeding, add a handful of salt to the water for the final rinse, as this will set the colours (you will need to do this each time you wash it).  
 
If you decide to use a fabric softener, please read the instructions on the bottle carefully.  You shouldn't use fabric softeners with silk or wool, and when hand-washing, you need to add it directly to the soapy solution.  Rinsing well is crucial becuase fabric softeners have chemicals in them.  

After handwashing and soaking your garment, rinse and carefully squeeze the water out without wringing it, as you don't want to damage the threads.  Remember to turn it inside-out for drying.  I recommend using a clothing rack so you can lay the huipil out flat, or place it on a clean towel.  Never dry your article in the direct sun.  Check your piece every couple of hours to flip it over until it is fully dry.  These huipiles are heavy, so can take longer to dry than regular clothing.
 
HUIPILES ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING
 
One of the reasons huipiles are collectible is due to their constant evolution.  The huiples that were woven 50 years ago were simpler with larger patterns, less complexity and fewer colours.  Synthetic colours aren't the only commodity behind additional colour selection - dye artists also expanded their pallettes using natural plants and vegetables through trial and error based on happenstance observations.  For example, we all know beets stain as do carrots - and these two vegetables are now used by dye artists.  The evolution continues as younger artisans strive for finer workmanship and complexity.  If you are interested in the evolution of textiles, we highly recommend visiting Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya in San Cristobal de las Casas, as their extensive collection includes huipiles from different decades for careful study.   
 
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR WOVEN TREASURE AND WILL PASS IT DOWN THROUGH THE ART LOVERS IN YOUR FAMILY.