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Ester Cecilia Montepeque Berthet
COUNTRY
Guatemala
COSTUME
San Juan Cotzal
Costume Provided by
Consulate General of Guatemala in Vancouver
The Mayan costume used by women consists of a huipil, corte, sash, ‘perraje’ or rebozo, and sut. To attend brotherhood ceremonies, women also wear a surhuipil and veil.
The huipil is made of three panels: the central brocades cover it almost completely, while those on the sides cover only the part that, when worn, is on their shoulders. The neck generally has a chain-stitched embroidered finish with four protruding designs, one placed in the center, another in front, and the others on each side of the shoulders. According to oral tradition, each of these represents a cardinal point. Brocade designs are woven with mercerized cotton thread or acrylic fibers. These include geometric figures combined with birds and plants, each of which is given a different name. It is worn inside the cut.
The Corte: The women of this community were the first in the Ixil area to adopt the use of the ‘marbled’ corte, predominantly in green and blue tones mixed with purple and yellow. Currently, they use others of various colors that are available on the market. It is worn rolled up with a pallet on each side and is held in place with the sash. It is woven on a foot loom.
The Sash: The sash is predominantly red with stripes in contrasting colors. It is woven on a backstrap loom. At the ends, it has large pompoms applied. To put it on, women hold it in front and wrap it around the waist from behind. Then, they pass the tips forward and intertwine them in such a way that it gives it a special touch. They finish by tying it and placing the pompoms on each side.
The ‘Perraje’ or ‘Rebozo’: The ‘perraje’ is made up of two panels joined in the center by a handmade seam. Like the sash, it is predominantly red with black stripes and contrasting colors (pink, white, green, and yellow, among others). At the ends of the panels, the same figures as on the huipil are brocaded, and they are finished with very special knotting work done using the macramé technique. They leave the fringes or add colored pompoms.
The ‘Sut’: The ‘Sut’ is a small piece that, when folded in a certain way, is placed on the head. It is square and made up of two panels woven on the backstrap loom. Like the ‘perraje,’ it is predominantly red and has vertical stripes in various colors. Traditional figures of the community are also brocaded.
The ‘Sobre Huipil’: This garment is ceremonial in nature, and only members of the brotherhoods are allowed to wear it. Usually, they are the elderly wives of the brothers or elderly people who have held positions in that organization. Its characteristics are very similar to those of the huipil, and it is distinguished because it has a white background. To brocade it, they only use green, purple, and blue tones. They also wear a white veil made of transparent commercial fabric.
