Maya heritage in textiles of Chiapas today.

Fineliner sepia and watercolor on Handbook Watercolor Journal 8" x 8"

This is a tzute, a ceremonial cloth for men. It is just one example of the many gorgeous pieces exhibited at the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya here in San Cristobal de las Casas. The museum has a great collection of colorful samples of Maya wardrobe from Chiapas and Guatemala. Some examples of Guatemala are included in this collection to represent the whole Maya area, you see, Chiapas belonged to Guatemala before joining the Mexican Republic, twice (1842 & 1882)!

The line work of this sketch was made on location and watercolor later. 

I love the textiles of the state of Chiapas. They are incredibly beautiful and colorful. The heritage from Maya is so embedded in the patterns and symbols of textiles today. It's fascinating. The store of the  museum is a dangerous place for the pocket. It's like another museum but you can actually own one or some, do you see my state of mind? I ended up buying a book about the textiles of Chiapas, which I finally found after looking for a good one at several book stores. I wanted to know more about it. That made me happy since I don't think I can sketch or make justice to so many different outfits from the many communities and villages in the state. I love textiles from Chiapas. Please excuse me for being so repetitive, it's just that all this cultural diversity in one state is fas.ci.na.ting. 
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