HANDMADE LOOMS IN ZINACANTÁN
Zinacantán is a Tsotsil municipality in the heart of Los Altos, Chiapas, Mexico. Although its main economic activity is floriculture, the carnations embroidered on huipiles attract even more attention than the roses planted in the fields. The community is located near San Cristobal de las Casas and is accustomed to tourism.
In this municipality, women who do not work cutting chrysanthemums and cempasúchil, work embroidering and weaving those same motifs into handmade textiles. Draped in petals, Zinacantán's traditional clothing shows off the identity and talent of its wearers. And at the same time, it is positioned as a coveted treasure in the world of handicrafts in Chiapas.
Around four thousand people live in the municipal capital and textile workshops abound. In small groups or in cooperatives of women, the weavers weave skirts, huipiles, sashes and table runners. Surrounded by warpers and threads, the group members welcome visitors to share the details of their craft.
The women of the family share the work among themselves. To keep the workshop afloat, in addition to showing the work behind an embroidery or a backstrap loom path, it is necessary to sell, manage and feed.
Weaving and embroidering a meticulously designed sash can take several weeks. Weaving and embroidering a mocheval, as the traditional Zinacanteco shawl is known, can take several months. Artisans make a living from selling their own handicrafts from Chiapas.
