Tehuantepec Blouses

The city of Tehuantepec is located on the river and Isthmus near the southeastern stretches of the state of Oaxaca. Tehuantepec is a town of beautiful, stately, and strong local women (Tehuanas) of Zapotec extraction, and is known for being an established matriarchy--although in actuality, the division of power between men and women is quite equal (as shown in the documentary "Blossoms of Fire") The huipiles, or blouses, worn by these Zapotec women of Tehuantepec are legendary in Mexico. The most elegant of these are made of velvet tightly embroidered in rich colors with flowers and leaves by hand, or tiny intricate "cadenilla" stitching done with a tool similar to a crochet hook (called "gancho"). The strong, assertive and robust Tehuanas wear these in the hot, tropical lowland climate of Oaxaca, where all of the palms lean south because of the persistent warm winds that penetrate the area. To see these women gathered at a fiesta is something like being lost in a field of proud, multicolored sunflowers. Like so many others before and after her, Frida Kahlo was inspired by these women and their dress and adopted the Tehuana look as her own. Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, and other famous painters also found their imaginations captured by the exuberant beauty and strength of the Tehuantepec style, and the way it represents Mexico and its culture.

Initially, the people of Tehuantepec can seem reserved and hesitant of outsiders, perhaps due to a cultural protection that emerged in the region due to trade routes that produced constant traffic through the area long ago or the flow of US Easterners going west in the 1800's. The women of the village (and an occasional man) can be seen everywhere--in the houses, in the shade of the yard trees, or under the porch roof--seated around rectangular embroidery frames (called "bastidors") stretched with luxurious velvet or piel de angeles (angel's skin) satin pieces creating their floral masterpieces of thread by hand--a feat requiring great technical skill so that the result is even and proportionate. There are usually two or three women seated together working before their individual frames, and in some cases, two or three women working on one frame.

This incredible hand embroidery boasts many visual elements: small black lines outline many shapes within the floral pattern. Bands of dark, medium, and light values of the same color create the effect of light reflected from a curved surface. The juxtaposition of the dark backgrounds contrasts with, and enriches, the brilliant colors of the leaves and flowers. The overall effect of the scalloped edges of the shapes produces a rhythmic quality to the entire piece of art clothing.

In addition to the hand-done "gancho" cadenilla work, another technique often used to embroider Tehuantepec huipiles uses a machine to do the complicated geometric work called "costura". However, the majority of pieces (flowers and leaves) are hand done "abordar", and some huipiles showcase both a mix of both "abordar" and "costura".

However, in this modern day, the hand-done Tehuantepec huipiles are becoming harder and harder to find. As the art of embroidery is being passed down through the generations less and less, and machine-done stitching is slowly replacing the careful and intricate embroidery done by hand, the older traditionally hand-stitched huipiles (such as most that are carried by El Interior) are becoming collector's items and can even be seen in textile museums.

El Interior
1009 West Lynn
Austin, TX  78703
p. (512) 474-8680
info@elinterior.com
www.elinterior.com