Santiago Atitlan


Home \| Weaving \| Economics \| Materials \| War and Uprising \| Precolumbian
	Santiago Atitlan
Images Map Headdress Huipil WV112	Santiago Atitlan is a Tzutujil Maya speaking community that sits on the southwest shore of Lake Atitlan. The women of the village organize and operate the daily village market. Traditional clothing and textiles remain an important activity for both men and women. The men specialize in ikat, a particular type of tie-dyed thread, used to make women's skirts, the main product of their treadle looms. The headdress is an extremely long, narrow, red wool band that is woven into the hair and then wrapped around the head, creating a halo effect. The striking style of this headpiece can be seen on 1200-year-old Classic Maya polychrome ceramics and ancient carved stone monuments. This evidence demonstrates the great age of this traditional garment. An excellent example of this headdress can be seen as a women from Santiago Atitlan wraps the cloth around her head. The huipil of this village has undergone various changes as a natural result of the evolution of an art form. Embroidered flowers and birds have replaced the traditional solar pattern around the neckline. Original flower and bird designs were of European origin, but Maya weavers have incorporated flora and fauna native to the highlands. An example of a typical huipil from this village is seen on WV112.