WHAT IS BACKSTRAP weaving ?

According to Maya legend, the goddess Ixchel was said to have invented backstrap weaving. She was known as the goddess of medicine and childbirth as well as weaving. Weavers made offerings to her before beginning each new textile. The continuation of this type of weaving from Pre-Columbian times to present day is one way that Maya women have maintained their own culture and resisted changes imposed on them by outside influences.

Backstrap weaving is a symbol of the life of the Maya woman. With the loom strapped around her waist and the other end tied to a tree or post the weaver is an integral part of the loom. Thus, she is vitally connected to the nature around her and becomes one with her environment.

This ancient tradition is passed down from mother or grandmother to girls usually between the ages of 7 and 8.

For the typical Maya woman in highland villages of Guatemala, weaving becomes a ritual part of her daily life. Before sunrise she awakes to care for children and animals; starts the fire, grinds the corn and makes tortillas and food for the family. After dawn, she unrolls and connects her loom. She sits, strapping it around her waist and is ready to begin weaving for three or four hours until she prepares lunch for her family.

In the afternoon she weaves another three or more hours until the sun begins to fade. At the end of a weaving day the loom can be rolled up and put away, only to be unrolled at daybreak and resume the process the following day.

To weave a traditional huipil (blouse) may involve two or three months of this daily ritual depending on the complexity of the design.

Linguistically differentiated by as many as twenty languages, the Mayans share a common bond through their weaving heritage. Many aspects of Maya Culture are communicated by costume or "traje". It is a true art form where a woman shows her artistry and level of commitment to cultural identity.

Ikat, or Jaspe as it is known to Mayan weavers, comes from the Indonesian word Menigikat meaning "to tie".

This traditional craft has been developed in many parts of the world including: Guatemala, Peru, India, Indonesia, Japan and Africa.

Ikat is a dye-resist process in which skeins of white cotton are tied at pre-determined intervals and then dipped into an indigo dye bath. The contrast of the indigo and the white (or un-dyed) areas is what creates the design in the final product. Guatemala is one the countries that has developed warp Ikat; a process with only the warp (vertical) threads resist-dyed.
After the dying process the threads are then woven into rebosos (shawls) or runners on a backstrap loom. Some of the popular Ikat designs from San Juan are corn, dolls, diamonds and women.

Information courtesy of Maya Traditions.