Piece of the Month – March 2026
San Pedro Necta
Huehuetenango
Linguistic Community: mam
Components of the attire: huipil, sash and corte
Everyday wear

The huipil was made from a single panel, folded in half with the warp placed horizontally, a feature unique to this town. This arrangement creates an unusual neck opening finished with handmade embroidery, similar to the one on the sleeves.

The huipil displays a pattern of multicolored warp stripes, produced through a complex warping process that alternates full and half turn-arounds of differently colored threads. This technique, to date, has only been documented in this community.

The corte (skirt) is distinguished by the nearly imperceptible seam that joins the woven panels, each produced on the backstrap loom. Notably, in this community the cortes are also woven on the backstrap loom.

At the waist, woven wear a sash locally referred to as a banda. It is predominantly red, with stripes and brocaded geometric motifs. It ties at the back, allowing the ends to hang down.

What else do you know about this traditional attire?

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