San Mateo de Mar - The Huaves are a small indigenous group who live in a protected area surrounded by Zapotec and Zoque towns. They actually live on a peninsula that forms part of the bay near Salina Cruz. They have adopted the day to day dress of the nearby Zapotec, but have a wonderful hand woven costume that is traditional with purple dyed brocade huipil. Recently there has been a movement to save the weaving in the villages and they name weave table cloths, bags, napkins, curtains and tortilla cloths using traditional designs.

Return to Huave of Oaxaca.
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The traditional huipil has a wide assortment of designs that are brocaded into the cloth. Here we can see dogs, tomato plants, coyotes etc... 		1_huipildetail2
The front panel from Huipil purchased in Oaxaca city 1974.		 1_huipildetail3
A close up of woven design on the huipil in the collection.
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The huipil from San. Mateo, the coloring at one time was from a sea snail. This huipil is only worn on special occasions now. If this was actually sea small the smell would give it away, even after numerous washings. In the Mixtec regions further north they still have snail dyed thread.		 ahuipildetailnew1
Fine detail of machine work on a day to day huipil. These are very similar to those worn by the Zapotec peoples in nearby towns.		 ahuipiltop
A huipil purchased Aug 1998 in San Mateo del Mar.