Rebozo Mayan Shawl #11

Post-1980 Mayan shawl of ikat and cotton from Totonicapan
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 10-20 years old, and is of an older style usually attributed to Toto. The jaspe warp is cotton, as are the other colored threads. The bolas or yarn balls at the ends, which serve as a decorative fringe, are more recent synthetic yarns.

Size: 26 inches wide and 78 inches long, including the fringes and pompoms.

Condition: very good, perhaps some light soil but no holes or stains. The pompoms which usually adorn the fringe ends are all present.