Textile sotzil
Contents
Introducing ancient design in contemporary Mayan textiles
Vision:
The creation of a collection of textile art, designed specifically for the Maya woman, principal market for the Maya textile, and the main reason why this art is preserved.
The project gathers weavers and textile artists to create textile art pieces inspired in ancient designs in pottery, stelae, murals and other archaeological pieces. Every design tells the story of it´s origin and meaning carrying elements of history, culture and cosmovision.
The design pool resulting from research on archaeological pieces is shared with the Maya weavers, truth to the idea that the added value of the Maya textile is the fact that they are used by the Maya women, so that the more women using it, more value it acquires as elements of a collective language, symbols of resistance, identity and the continuity of culture.
Products and Services:
- Ancient design and iconography catalogue.
- Diffusion of designs and patterns among Maya weavers.
- Organization of weavers to produce textile art works.
- Creation of textiles, clothing and accessories for Maya women.
- Textile art exhibitions
- Workshops and activities to share the design.
Demand and Justification.
It is clear that Maya textile is very important for the economy of many families, it is equivalent to a national identity, a symbol of strength and resistance to the colonization. Textile market is a remarkable example of the economic value of culture, and the Maya women market keeps this ancient art alive and evolving.
Many persons benefit from this art, exploiting cloth and derived products like bags, shoes, etc. Many times earning more than the weavers. This activity has been mostly one sided, exploiting the Mayan designs without any kind of copyright.
Recently some weavers are introducing a variety of designs taken from magazines, choosing them only for their aesthetic value, even though they do not have a significant role in the culture and daily life of the Maya population. This is because these magazines are easy to get in the market.
However, most of the Maya weavers have no access to articles, books and products of academic research that universities, mostly foreign, have been doing for hundreds of years. War, poverty and exploitation of the Maya population have a negative impact in the transmission of culture.
The present project aims to re insert in the Maya women design pool, elements of iconography found in the archaeological record, recovering forgotten patterns and designs.
Financial request.
Research and divulgation of ancient designs will be an input for weavers and textile artists, trough a nonprofit entity, while the last stages of the project aim to create a model enterprise using the economic value of culture as added value to products.
| Required Investment | Ammount (Euros) |
|---|---|
| Design catalogue production | 23,000 |
| Graphic design | 5,800 |
| Textile production | 7,000 |
| Printing patterns for weavers. | 6,900 |
| Coloring book for kids | 5,000 |
| Workshops (10) | 6,000 |
| Producing textiles for sale | 34,000 |
|
Marketing, advertising, brands, legal expenses, etc |
10,000 |
| Total | 97,700 Euro |
Current state of the project (2020)
- Preliminary research (design)
- Prototypes
- Preliminary research (weavers and textile artists)
