Huipil

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A heavy quality white cotton huipil woven on a hip loom (in Mixtec 'Shiku lestu'). The huipil is made of three strips of 218 cm. long and ± 39 cm. wide. One of the strips is 5 cm. longer and shortened by a pleat. The strips have been stitched together with red embroidery silk in a dense zigzag stitch. At the outer edges 18 cm. have been left open to form armholes, the edges of which are finished with a dark pink flannel stitch. The square cut neckline is finished with a red pointed festoon stitch. On the shoulder one starts with a geometric motif, then downwards a row of ducks, a series of flowers (representing the feminine and the life), an elongated star-shaped motif (representing the sacred) separated by diamonds, a more geometric star-shape and finally the flower motif returns. The narrower bands are bordered by red weft threads, the wider ones by a zigzag border in red. The edges themselves are predominantly in solferino (pink) and caracol or fuchina (purple). The purple has left traces all over the fabric, which is further decorated by rows of stars (D. 1 cm.), which are woven in chocca technique with red thread at 2,5 cm. distance. The rows are spaced 15 to 20 cm. apart, towards the bottom they are placed one centimetre further apart.nB At 67 cm. from the bottom an attachment thread of the seam connection has been worked out into an embroidered leaf. This and the occurrence of a detached asterisk is a typical Indian peculiarity.‖ This very wide huipil is worn with skirt 4514-66b. from Sayultepec by the women of Zacatipan. The huipil, however, is woven in neighboring Amusgos.‖ The wraparound skirt and huipil were purchased in Zacatepec on March 13, 1971, for 200 pesos each, i.e., fl. 60 each.