Serape

The serape is among the finest and most vibrant North American textile traditions. Produced as early as the 1500s, the serape has since undergone different styles and remains a popular item today. Despite its prominence in Mexican culture, relatively little is known about the textile’s origins and history. This textile’s production required great skill: until the early–mid 1900s, the serape was made up of two panels, each woven on a narrow loom, and then stitched together. To create the illusion of a single piece, the two panels had to be mirror images of each other. Serapes have long been used in a variety of ways, as rugs, shawls, wall hangings, saddle blankets, and, when featuring a neck slit, ponchos. By the 1880s the serape displayed distinct regional styles in Mexico and was highly sought after by American tourists. The serape also became a source of inspiration for Navajo and Rio Grande weavers, and imitations of the textile were printed and sold in Germany.