Guatemalan Textiles

Guatemala is the northernmost country in Central America, with a population of 13.27 million. Human settlement in this area dates from at least 12,000 BC. Mayan culture flourished in Central America, including the highlands of Guatemala, from 250 BC to 900 BC. Some aspects of Mayan culture from this period, including textile designs, have been preserved by Mayan Indians. These customary arts have even survived the dramatic changes that followed the arrival of the Spanish in 1519.

There are over 4 million people living in Mexico and Central America who identify as Mayan. The textiles produced by each Mayan community have their own distinctive patterns, designs and colours. Mayan textiles have been collected by private collectors and museums since the nineteenth century. Today there are textile markets in a number of towns and cities in Guatemala and the sale of textiles is an important part of the economy.

The collector:
The Guatemalan textiles exhibited in this gallery are from Professor Jack Richards’ private collection. Professor Richards travels regularly to South and Central America to teach and make presentations at conferences. In 2005, he and his friend, Martha Frenkel, built a new school for the Wicho community, an Amerindian community in Argentina.

Professor Richards discovered Guatemalan textiles on his first visit to the old colonial city of Antigua, near Guatemala City, about 20 years ago. The textile market in Antigua sells textiles from all over Guatemala. Professor Richards states: ‘I have purchased things there every time I visit and will doubtless continue to add to the collection on future visits.’

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