Ties That Bind

Ties That Bind
Maya Backstrap Weaving 

Everyday in the highlands of Guatemala, Maya women engage in a moving meditation that is a metaphor for the mysteries of creation. Backstrap weaving is an ancient textile art, pre-dating history. According to Maya legend, the goddess Ixchel invented backstrap weaving and is credited with creating the cosmos on her loom. Even today, every Maya textile design is in homage to the goddess of medicine, childbirth, and weaving. The indigenous names of the parts of the loom, the weaving procedures, and designs are all part of the Maya vision of birthing and the cosmos. Grease

Known in Guatemala as the "stick loom," the backstrap loom is made of hand carved wooden parts. Weaving literally binds Maya women to their land, as well as their culture. The backstrap is tied around the waist of the weaver, the other end secured to a post or tree. The weaver is an integral part of the loom, connected to her environment, at one with nature. 

The textile art has been passed on from one generation to the next, from mother or grandmother to girls as young as seven and eight. For Maya women, weaving is a ritual part of everyday life, done between chores. The textiles created on the backstrap loom cannot be very long or wide. It may take two or three months to create a traditional huipil (blouse) that must be woven in pieces and then sewn together. High Temperature Grease

Despite government restrictions, Maya women have maintained their culture and have continued to create their unique, colorful textiles which are prized all over the world. Though linguistically they are challenged by as many as 20 different languages, through weaving the Maya people share a common heritage. Many aspects of Maya culture are communicated by traje, or costume. Thus, Maya women bind their people by their cloth.  Engine Oil

Backstrap weaving is a craft of indigenous peoples throughout the world. Such weavings are found in Africa, India, Indonesia, and Tibet, among other countries. The craft is so respected that there are even workshops offered in Guatemala and Mexico, as well classes in the U.S. and other parts of the world. SMK petro

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