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Mayan Weaving
The treadle loom or foot loom, an example of which is shown to the right, was introduced by the Spanish to Mayan weavers shortly after the Conquest. Following in the Spanish tradition, initially only men were trained to use the more expensive and less mobile treadle looms. Thus, the treadle loom never completely displaced the inexpensive and highly mobile backstrap loom, and the two coexist to this day.
The process of Mayan weaving on these two types of looms is basically the same. The threads of the warp are alternately lifted and lowered while the weft is passed between the threads. Instead of lifting the warp by a heddle rod by hand as on a backstrap loom, the warp on a treadle loom is lifted mechanically by a series of foot pedals. Thus, the process of Mayan weaving on a treadle loom is much faster than weaving on a backstrap loom.
The fabric produced is often used to make women's skirts or cortes.
 The backstrap loom, an example of which is shown to the left, is deceptively simple.
For the most part, it consists of sticks, rope, and a strap that is worn around the weaver's waist. This strap is how the backstrap loom received its name. This simple technology means that almost anyone can own a backstrap loom and that the loom can be set up almost anywhere.
This mobility allows the Guatemalan weaver to work indoors or outside, at a neighbor's house or in the marketplace, while keeping watch over the children or while chatting with friends. And the backstrap loom can be adjusted to fit any weaver, from the child learning to weave to an adult master weaver. Some of the most beautiful and amazing Mayan weavings come from the backstrap loom.
Parts of a Backstrap Loom used for Mayan Weaving
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A = A cord or rope is used to tie the loom to a tree or post.
B = End bars are used to hold the warp (vertical threads) to the upper and lower ends of the loom.
C and D = Shed rods maintain the crossing of the warp's threads.
E = The heddle rod lifts alternate threads of the warp.
F = The batten helps to separate alternate threads of the warp to allow the bobbin (G) to pass through them. The batten can also be used to tighten the weft (horizontal threads) as they are woven.
G = The bobbin, containing the thread of the weft, passes from side to side between the warp.
H = This belt is worn around the weaver's back and connects her to the loom. The weaver controls the tension on the warp by leaning backward or forward. |
Mayan Weavings Using Ikat of Jaspe Technique
A popular Guatemalan weaving created by Mayan artisans is called ikat in English and jaspe in Spanish which means speckled or mottled. It consists of tie-dying the yarns before it is woven. The result is a feathered or mottled appearance that is central to its appeal. You can see an example on the right.
The process of creating this type of textile is very labor intensive and time-consuming. Often, whole families are involved in the many steps required to prepare the yarns for dyeing and Mayan weaving. The first step involves wrapping a designated number of yarns together tightly with string at intervals required by a particular pattern. In preparing a skein of yarn that is to be used for weft patterns, the skein is stretched between two sides of a frame made especially for this purpose, and the sections of the warp that are to remain free of dye are bound tightly with string. In preparing warps for dyeing, the yarn is stretched between stakes and the person wrapping it sits on a stool, gradually moving along the length of the warp as the work progresses. The person doing the knotting for jaspe patterning must not only know the position where each tie must be located on the yarns to be dyed. The wrapping must be done very tightly to prevent seepage, which would spoil the pattern configuration.
After the yarns are tightly tied, sometimes with hundreds of wrappings, they are immersed in dye; when dry, the ties are removed. The areas of the yarns that were covered by tightly tied string are left free of the dye that has penetrated the other sections of the yarns. These alternatively dyed and un-dyed areas form patterns and designs in the textiles woven with them.
Once the jaspe-dyed yarns are dry, they must be prepared for weaving. Jaspe warps must be stretched out full length and, with aid of a spreader, carefully arranged, so the designs are correctly sequenced. The warps are then transferred onto the warp beam of the loom, where they are precisely aligned to form the individual patterns, which are interspersed with stripes of plain colored yarns.
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