San Juan La Laguna Huipil

The horizontal zigzagged lines in the San Juan La Laguna huipil represent snakes—a tribute to the Maya Goddess Ixchel who wears a snake headdress. Ixchel is most commonly recognized as the goddess of medicine and midwifery, but she’s also remembered as the goddess of weaving. As potential wives in ancient times were often judged by their weaving, Ixchel is an important symbol to the women of San Juan La Laguna. Later, weaving provided an economic opportunity for women who lost their husbands during Guatemala’s civil war (1960-1996). On the chest, 24 differently-colored squares signify June 1 to 24, the last day being the birthday of San Juan Bautista, the patron saint of San Juan La Laguna.

A town located on the west side of Lake Atitlán, San Juan La Laguna is home to the Tz'utujil and K'iche' Maya people. It is home to many artists and painters, which have made San Juan such a colorful town. The area has seen a resurgence in the craft of natural dying over the past two decades. It’s common to find demonstrations of spinning and dying on street corner after street corner, as well as stores that promote it.

*Please note: this is a pre-order. San Juan Las Laguna Huipil will be delivered in 1 month after confirming your order. 

Handmade in San Juan La Laguna, Sololá by Claudia.

Measurements: 11" W x 18" H. It has opened sides.

Material: 100% cotton.

ENGLISH: Claudia’s mother died when she was four; her father remarried and she learned to weave and embroider from her stepmother. With education through the eighth grade, she sewed clothing for her family and created beautiful textiles to sell. She married at 15, started her own embroidery business soon after, and had three children. She joined a Friendship Bridge Trust Bank to get a loan to help grow her business, and now employs two women weavers in her community. “Before giving us a loan, [Friendship Bridge] advises us on good investment practices, to recognize any changes we might make in our businesses, and have savings for emergencies,” says Claudia.

ESPAÑOL: La madre de Claudia murió cuando ella tenía cuatro años; su padre se volvió a casar y ella aprendió a tejer y bordar con su madrastra. Con estudios hasta el octavo grado, cosía ropa para su familia y creaba hermosos tejidos para vender. Se casó a los 15 años, comenzó su propio negocio de bordado poco después y tuvo tres hijos. Se unió a Friendship Bridge para obtener un préstamo que le ayudara a hacer crecer su negocio, y ahora emplea a dos tejedoras de su comunidad. “Antes de darnos un préstamo, [Friendship Bridge] nos asesora sobre buenas prácticas de inversión, para reconocer cualquier cambio que podamos hacer en nuestros negocios, y tener ahorros para emergencias”, dice Claudia.