Quetzaltenango Draw-String Skirt of Double Ikat

Girl's skirt ca. 1960s made from single double-ikat panel
Most of the skirts or cortes used by the Maya women of Guatemala are made on treadle looms in the large textile-producing villages of the western highlands of southern Guatemala. Certain designs are village-specific, but it is now more common for the woman to choose a skirt fabric which suits her personal aesthetic. Some skirts are also made in the particular village for use in that village. Villages and towns in the valley of Quetzaltenango often use corte material produced in neighboring villages to fashion draw-string skirts, which are the common use there.

This skirt is a single-panel textile of finely woven material featuring ikat designs in both directions. The sides of the cloth were hemmed, and the ends have been stitched together to form the tube. Overall size is 23 inches tall and 38 inches wide as viewed. The weave is weft-faced plain weave with large ikat figures in both directions. This corte material appears to be 100% cotton, and has a nice fresh appearance even though it is 40 years old. The overall size of the piece of cloth used was 34 inches wide and 77 inches long. The warp runs in the long direction.

Condition: very good, lightly used but presenting no noticeable flaws.