It’s been all about boys in my family — two sons, a stepson, and a grandson. That is, until eleven months ago when finally a girl — my granddaughter — made her much welcomed entrance into the world. Of course she is adorable, but so were her brother, dad, and uncles. However, I must admit that clothes shopping for a little girl is so much more fun, especially here in Oaxaca.
Naturally, I had to go to the current Museo Textil de Oaxaca exhibition, Vestir hijos con amor (Dressing children with love) — very timely for the upcoming Día del Niño on April 30
Cotton baby hat – probably Santiago Mexquititlán, Querétaro, Mexico (c. 1960) Otomí village.
Woven baby hat – San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala (c. 1990s) Tz’utuoil community.
The curator’s note explains that the textiles shown “are not the sumptuous accoutrements of an ancient aristocracy, but children’s clothing of the poorest people in Mexico and Guatemala… made of cotton and wool.”
Girl’s huipil from Palín, Guatemala (c. 1980s). Community speaks Pokomam, a Mayan language.
Girl’s huipil from San Bartolomé Ayautla, Oaxaca, Mexico. (c. 1950s) Mazateco community.
“In setting up this exhibit, we have tried to show how textiles intended for children make visible the love felt for them by the first nations of this land.”
Girl’s clothing from Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico. (c. 1940s) Purépecha village.
Costume of baptism – Chachahuantla, Puebla, Mexico (1999-2017) Community speaks Náhuatl.
Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas, Mexico (c. 1950s). Tsotsil village.
Huipil of black velvet with cotton embroidery from districts of Juchitán and Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. (c. 1950-1960) Zapotec communities.
Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, Oaxaca, Mexico (c. 1990). Zapotec village.
Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, Oaxaca, Mexico (c. 1990). Zapotec village. Embroidery detail using rayon threads.
It isn’t just the girls who are dressed with love in these indigenous communities. The clothing of the boys is also just as lovingly detailed and decorated.
Boy’s clothing from San Andrés Tzicuilan, Puebla, Mexico. (c. 1988-1993) Community speaks Náhuatl.
Boy’s clothing from Santiago Ixtayutla, Oaxaca, Mexico. (c. 1990s) Mixtec village.
(R) Boy’s clothing from Venustiano Carranza, Chiapas, Mexico. (c. 1950s). Tsotsil village. (L) Teen boy’s clothing from Sierra Madre Occidental to the north of Jalisco and east of Nayarit. (c. 1930s) Wixárika (Huichol) community.
Detail from teen boy’s clothing from Sierra Madre Occidental to the north of Jalisco and east of Nayarit. (c. 1930s) Wixárika (Huichol) community.
There are so many more pieces to see and there is even an interactive component for children — a play area where they can assemble and decorate textile pieces. The Museo Textil de Oaxaca is located at Hidalgo 917, at the corner of Fiallo and the exhibition, in the Caracol room, runs until July 1, 2018.
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