About Indigenous Fantastic Black Dresses

Black dresses from Guatemalan indigenous are amazing in every way, they also have their historical background. In the known pre-Columbian red, white, yellow and black, who were the sacred colors of the war, of life represented in the corn and the dead you. Even then the red dye was probably prepared using cochineal call, later to be the most important export dye Guatemala.

In this continuity of changes we realize that the Indian clothing is a living art which has not stalled or lost, but has evolved.

Origins and more

The origin of Indian black dresses is unclear. For the drawings and reliefs found in the vessels and in the wakes, it is known that the Maya, according to their social category within the community, using woven tunics henequen, the cuyuxcate Godon, or a kind of truss. We know also that the tunics dyes and adorned with feathers, colorful stones and rabbit fur. The Mayans knew very well the use of cylinder seals to finish the edges tissues with repeated motifs. Also were experts in the use of the birds, which they used to embroider and furthermore, the interlaced or entertain jian for making ornaments and headdresses for his nobles and warriors.

When the soldiers arrived they found the natives of the various descendants of the Maya tribes dressed in black dresses and robes woven of cotton, which they made on looms similar to those "sticks" that are used today. he nuns and missionaries who followed the conquerors directed their indigenous to perfect their technique in sewing, in the use of loom waist a little more modern and the foot loom.

Although the year 1563 the Spaniards prohibited by law the use of the technique of weaving brocade, slowly the Indians improved their techniques using the tapestry known as the soumak, brocade and again, although probably interrupted the temporary ban evolution in the development of primitive black dresses techniques.

Many people modified the design and style of their costumes, the same as for ma to tie belts or tzutes place, especially the designs of the huipi them, the reasons for and method of use were to reveal the social category of those the bore. The Spanish colonial time, the most convenient lot to know villages which belonged to his slaves and / or indigenous workers! Therefore, black dresses had importance for the Spanish people as for the Indians. Today the authenticity of the costumes has decayed due to development, ease of communication that allows a greater relationship between peoples, soon interest that some Indians have in preserving their traditional dress, the cost of the materials used, and sometimes the convenience or preference to get one skirt of another. The traditional costumes are made on looms. The most expensive and coveted are made on backstrap looms, also known as "sticks".