Woven designs of Guatemala

Includes bibliographical references (pages 135-136)The project undertaken here involving current highland Guatemalan textiles has focused on an exploration of the weaving process and a discussion of the symbolism behind the various design motifs.\ud By combining my skill of weaving and my curatorial experience of textile research, I wish to express my concern for the preservation and conservation of the earliest woven designs of the Maya Indians.\ud This purpose was achieved in part by a field trip to Guatemala in the months of May and June, 1975, in order to study the many motifs used in the fabrics. I observed the weaving techniques and used photographs to record the various types of designs being woven. Using the materials collected then, I recorded the designs using graph paper for the warp and weft threads (of a loom) and for the thread count of the brocaded and laid-in motifs. These graphs will enable weavers to reproduce and distinguish the many village patterns. The Indian weavers, for the most\ud part, do not recall the symbolism of their designs, but through thorough research, I tried to interpret or explain many of the motifs in their historical context