Blouse (huipil)

San Mateo Ixtatán sits high atop the Cuchumatanes, a Guatemalan mountain range bordering the Mexican state of Chiapas. Geographically and culturally removed from the centers of Guatemalan textile production, the village developed a distinct style of huipil closer in spirit to those of Chiapas, Mexico than its Highlands neighbors. This large, knee-length huipil evokes the shape of pre-Conquest fashions and was worn over a long skirt to combat the cool climate of the mountains. It is boldly embroidered with radiating sunbursts, perhaps in reference to the nurturing warmth and creative power of the sun.