Quechqué mitre with floral motifs

1935

This quechquémitl is probably woven with wool in a hip loom. There are decorations in the form of embroidery, using the cross-stitch. An embroidery is a decorative technique in which additional threads are added to the fabric. \The background color is cream. The quechquémitl is decorated throughout with geometric, animal, and floral motifs in various colors.‖ Huipiles and quechquémitl (there are no good equivalents for either garment in the Dutch language) are the traditional garments of choice for the Indian woman in Mexico. The huipil is an essentially simple rectangular, sleeveless garment that covers the shoulders and part of the arms and can fall to the hips lengthwise, but elsewhere reaches to the ankles. It expresses many aspects of social life. This also applies to the quechquémitl which is basically more of a shoulder garment. The different huipiles and quechquémitl differ from each other in form and applied weaving and decorative techniques, as well as the size and nature of the decorative patterns and motifs - these elements are often related to the distinct identity of the different ethnic groups. It is interesting to note that in the 20th century the distribution of both garments is virtually non-existent: when a group dresses in the huipil, the quechquémitl is missing and vice versa. In pre-Columbian times this was not the case and both garments existed side by side and in some cases were even worn on top of each other, as Mixtec codices show.