Maya Rebozo Shawl #4

Older Maya shawl of artificial silk and warp ikat
Most rebozos used by Maya women in Guatemala are woven in the two textile-producing towns of Totonicapan and Quetzaltenango (known locally by its old Maya name of Xela). All are produced on the Spanish-style treadle loom, which involves a considerable amount of dying and handling by hand. It is not as time-consuming work as back-strap weaving, but it can still take weeks of total effort to produce a shawl. Much production is by cottage industry, with small looms in individual homes, where the weaving is a family endeavor. The ikat or jaspe threads are all dyed individually, in the home, and this is one of the more tedious of the jobs. This ikat almost entirely uses cotton threads.

This particular shawl is 20-40 years old, and is of the old style. The jaspe warp is cotton, and the solid-color warp threads are artificial silk, usually rayon or orlon. These synthetic threads are used since real silk is scarce and expensive.

Size: 23 inches wide and 48 inches long, including the fringes and pompoms

Condition: Very Good, light soil, light wear, 3 of pompoms missing on one end