Lidia Lopez is a Mayan woman from Guatemala. In this video she is describing each huipil and telling what the symbols mean and where it came from. She has a huipil from Tactic and a ceremonial huipil used for weddings and special occasions. The symbols used on huipils today are the same symbols that have been used for centuries and they can tell a lot about where the huipil is from.
Mayan Woman, Lidia Lopez, Explaining the Meanings of the Patterns on Huipils & What They Represent.
February 2, 2011 by
Lidia Lopez Explaining Symbols on Huipils & Their Origins
February 2, 2011 by
Lidia Lopez is a Mayan woman from Guatemala. She has been weaving on a backstrap loom for many years, and today she teaches others around the world the art of weaving. Here she is showing huipils from San Pedro Sacatepequez, Tecpan, Tamahu, and San Martin Jilotepeque. Each village has a different style of weaving and the symbols they use can help identify their origin. They are the same symbols and patterns the Mayans have used for centuries.
Lidia Lopez Explaining the Meanings of the Patterns on a Huipil from Patzicia.
February 2, 2011 by
Lidia Lopez is a Mayan woman from Guatemala. Here she is showing a huipil from Patzicia, Chimaltenango and giving the meaning to each symbol in the pattern. Each village has a different style and the symbols on the huipils can tell what area it is from. This huipil is for sale and you can find it under the ‘Patzicia’ category in the ‘Huipil’ section of this site.
Guatemalan Woman Showing Huipils
January 24, 2011 by
This is Lidia Lopez showing the many huipils she has and telling what village they came from.
Guatemalan Women Celebrating Holy Week, or ‘Semana Santa’
January 13, 2011 by
Women celebrating Semana Santa in Guatemala.
These women are celebrating ‘Semana Santa,’ or Holy Week in Antigua, Guatemala. Semana Santa is a Catholic celebration of the passion, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire city participates in the event. These women are dressed in traditional Mayan clothing called ‘traje.’ They are wearing ceremonial huipils (blouses) and they have ‘tzutes’ folded up on their heads.
Maria Wearing a Huipil and Holding Pineapple Cake
January 13, 2011 by
Woman in Traditional Dress With Pineapple Cake
Maria is showing off the beautiful (and tasty) pineapple upside down cake she baked. She is dressed in traditional Mayan clothing called ‘traje.’ Her pink top is called a huipil. Huipils are handmade and reflect the wearer’s personality and what village she is from.
Guatemalan Women Dressed in Traditional Mayan ‘Traje’
January 12, 2011 by
Traditional Maya Clothing in Guatemala Called 'Traje'
Woman in Guatemala have passed down their traditional dress called ‘traje’ for centuries. The tops are called ‘huipils’ and the skirts are ‘cortes’. The Mayan culture has used the same techniques of weaving textiles for generations and continue to do so today. The intricate brocade decor on the huipils varies slightly from village to village, but the patterns and their meanings have not changed since the classic Maya period. Not only is traje an important component of the Guatemalan culture, the tradition of weaving provides a viable income for the weavers and artisans who make these textiles to provide for their families.
Guatemalan Woman and her Daughters Wearing Traditional Mayan Clothing
January 12, 2011 by
Girls Wearing Huipils.
This is a woman with her two young girls dressed in traditional Guatemalan clothing. The tops women wear are called huipils. They are made from panels of textiles handwoven on a backstrap loom. Each huipil is unique and decorated with intricate brocade designs.
Guatemalan Woman Weaving on a Backstrap Loom
January 1, 2011 by
Guatemalan Woman Weaving on a Backstrap Loom
The art of weaving on a backstrap loom dates back to ancient Maya and has been passed down through the many generations of Guatemalan Women. It is the process in which they create beautiful vibrant colored textiles and Huipils. The weaver starts with raw cotton, which they clean, dye, and spin into thread. The thread is made into a warp and placed on the loom where she can then begin weaving. Many times intricate brocade and embroidery patterns are incorporated into the cloth. The process of weaving has changed very little over time and the techniques used today are virtually the same as they have been for hundreds of years.
Guatemalan Woman Winding Spun Cotton Thread Around a Spindle
January 1, 2011 by
Guatemalan Woman Winding Spun Cotton Thread Around Spindle Before Weaving on Backstrap Loom
The beautiful Huipils and other textiles made by the Mayan women of Guatemala are all hand made. The first step in the process is to clean and spin raw cotton into thread. The thread is then dyed and wrapped around a spindle so it can be managed easier when weaving on a backstrap loom.