Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Recently I have spend a great deal of time in the Mazahua communities in the State of Mexico. They are a front line group , who faces the difficult task of living within 2 hours of Mexico City and less than an hour from the capital of the Mexican State of Toluca.
The Mazahua women wear a combination of costumes which vary largely depending on the region or municipality that they live in.
There seems to be two things that are costants in the costume the “reuedo” or petticoat and the belt. The petticoat is worn show slightly from the bottom of the dress or apron , which ever is longer. The belt is worn under the garments to hold the skirt up and to add strength as they work in the fields or grind corn. Recently I have documented over 40 villages which will soon appear on the website. www.mexicantextiles.com .

Bob

4 comments:

Jen O said...

As as a college professor who teaches ethnic apparel in the Los Angeles region, there is much interest in Mexican apparel and textiles among my student population.

I would include your website in my list of required reading and research sites, were it not for the marring of every image with a logo pasted across the center.

Is there a reason for this?
How can any image be studied or used in research when it is so difficult to see the 'whole' through the wording on every image?

If this were truly a museum, as you state, then your ID would at least be posted at the BOTTOM the images, rather than across the mid section. Neither the MET or any other museum posts logos such as this.

If you want to elevate your collection to certain academic and research status, the logos have 'got to go'!

Matt & Jenna Dickson said...

In the 1980's, my dad went to Mexico and came back with embroidered dresses for my mom, myself, and my grandmothers. I have kept these dresses for sentimental reasons until recently. I had them in my garage sale, thinking that they were out of style and not worth much. A gentleman from Mexico came by and told me that one of the dresses is quite valuable. He said that it is a maternity dress that tells a story through the embroidery, indicating twins for the mother-to-be. Do you have any knowledge of this "story-telling"? If I sent you a photo, would you be able to identify the region/culture, and give any details about the story?

Thanks in advance for any information you can give.

Mexican Indigenous textiles said...

Hi Jen - The reason for the marking of my research a lot to do with Mexico being a third largest pirate country in the world, I have found my hard gained images on other Mexican sites pretending they are from that site. This also includes videos. In addition NO mexican has ever lifted a finger to help me. When I am asked for permission I always give it. Can you imagine working 9 years to save the heritage of Mexico without the least bit of interest from the Mexicans?

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