The quechquemitl (also spelled quezquemitl) is a garment which has been worn by certain indigenous ethnicities in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
since the pre-Hispanic period. It usually consists of two pieces of rectangular cloth, often woven by hand, which is sewn together to form a
poncho
A poncho (; qu, punchu; arn, pontro; "blanket", "woolen fabric") is an outer garment designed to keep the body warm. A rain poncho is made from a watertight material designed to keep the body dry from the rain. Ponchos have been used by the ...
or
shawl
A shawl (from fa, شال ''shāl'',) is a simple item of clothing from Kashmir, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, and sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, which is often folde ...
like garment, which is usually worn hanging off the shoulders. It can be constructed of various different
fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not th ...
s, often with intricate
weaves
Artificial hair integrations, more commonly known as hair extensions, hair weaves, and fake hair add length and fullness to human hair. Hair extensions are usually clipped, glued, or sewn on natural hair by incorporating additional human or sy ...
, and is typically highly decorated, most often with
embroidery
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...
.
In the pre-Hispanic period only women of high social rank were allowed to wear the quechquemitl. Since the colonial period, it has been adopted by various peoples, mostly living in central Mexico for everyday wear, festival and rituals, but its use has declined.
Construction and use
![Quechquemitl2MAPHidalgo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Quechquemitl2MAPHidalgo.JPG)
The quechquemitl has been variously described as a shawl, a cape and a triangular cloth, despite only resembling these somewhat when worn.
Most quechquemitls are two pieces of rectangular cloth sewn together, and most often worn off the shoulders, covering the upper body. Most have points which can hang down the front and back or over the arms.
Quechquemitls are generally worn with various other garments, such as a wraparound skirt tied with a sash,
huipil
''Huipil'' (Nahuatl: '' huīpīlli'' ; Ch'orti': ''b’ujk''; Chuj: ''nip'') is the most common traditional garment worn by indigenous women from central Mexico to Central America.
It is a loose-fitting tunic, generally made from two or three re ...
and blouse. The size of the quechquemitl depends on how it is to be worn as well as its relation to other pieces of clothing. Its effect on the overall outfit is determined on this relationship, rather than standing along as a long huipil can.
[ The garment is used for everyday wear, social and ritual occasions.]
The garment is found mostly in central Mexico among indigenous women such as the Huastecs
The Huastec or Téenek (contraction of ''Te' Inik'', "people from here"; also known as Huaxtec, Wastek or Huastecos) are an indigenous people of Mexico, living in the La Huasteca region including the states of Hidalgo, Veracruz, San Luis Potos ...
, Nahuas
The Nahuas () are a group of the indigenous people of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They comprise the largest indigenous group in Mexico and second largest in El Salvador. The Mexica (Aztecs) were of Nahua ethnicity, a ...
, Tepehuas
The Tepehuas are an indigenous people of Mexico whose name means in Nahuatl, "people of the mountain", although they refer to themselves without a term or name that encompasses a supposed ethnic group. They also use endoethnonyms that originate i ...
, Otomis
The Otomi (; es, Otomí ) are an indigenous people of Mexico inhabiting the central Mexican Plateau (Altiplano) region.
The Otomi are an indigenous people of Mexico who inhabit a discontinuous territory in central Mexico. They are linguisticall ...
, Totonacs
The Totonac are an indigenous people of Mexico who reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained quarters in Teotihuacán (a city ...
, Mazahuas
The Mazahuas are an indigenous people of Mexico, primarily inhabiting the northwestern portion of the State of Mexico and small parts of Michoacán and Querétaro. The largest concentration of Mazahua is found in the municipalities of San Felipe d ...
, Pames and Huichols
The Huichol or Wixárika are an indigenous people of Mexico and the United States living in the Sierra Madre Occidental range in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, and Durango, as well as in the United States in the states of California ...
in states such as Nayarit
Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...
, Jalisco, Querétaro, the State of Mexico, Hidalgo
Hidalgo may refer to:
People
* Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility
* Hidalgo (surname)
Places
Mexico
* Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico
* Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila
* Hidalgo, Nuevo Le ...
, Puebla and Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
.[ It has also been seen in some other areas such as the ]Uruapan
Uruapan is the second largest city in the Mexican state of Michoacán. It is located at the western edge of the Purépecha highlands, just to the east of the Tierra Caliente region. Since the colonial period, it has been an important city economic ...
area in Michoacán, and parts of Morelos, Guerrero
Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...
and Oaxaca
Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...
. While it used to be worn as the only upper garment, this practice has almost entirely disappeared, and today it is usually worn over a blouse for decoration or warmth. However, the popularity of highly decorated blouses has led to a diminishing of the quechquemitl.[ Only among the Totonacs, Otomis and Nahuas is the garment widely used, but even with these it is mostly found on older women. Younger women from the same communities prefer commercial blouses and shirts, reserving the quechquemitl for market days and festivals.][
In some areas, the quechquemitl is also worn as a head covering. Among the Tepehuas in Huehuetla, Hidalgo, this kind of quechquemitl is made with a fine gauze.][
]
Making of the garment
Peoples noted for the making of quechquemilts include the Huastecs, the Nahuas, the Tepehuas, the Huichols and the Otomis and the decoration of the garment can identify from which group it comes.[ However, the climate of the region it is made also has an effect such as the use of wool in colder areas.][ There is evidence that a number of motifs dates back to the pre Hispanic period. Others were adopted after the ]Spanish conquest
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its predece ...
, and a number are hard to date as they show both European and indigenous influence. Ancient designs include fretwork
Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly use ...
, a symbol for Quetzalcoatl, the scepter of Quetzalcoatl, related to Ursa Major
Ursa Major (; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear," referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa ...
, an “S” form called an ilhuitl and a cross with branches of equal length which represents the cardinal directions. Colors have symbolic meaning such as yellow for east. One European element is a stylized vase with flowers, but the double headed eagle, can be of either indigenous or European origin.[ The Huastecs in Tancanhuitz de Santos, San Luis Potosí and the Huichols in Jalisco and Nayarit make their quechquemitls in an undyed cotton, which is heavily embroidered with flowers and animals in various colors. The Nahuas of San Francisco Chapantla, Hidalgo and Hueyapan, Puebla decorate their huipils with fretwork, animals and flowers.][ Among the Huastecs the garment is usually of undyed cotton which is heavily embroidered.]
Like other indigenous garments, the quechquemitl is made from uncut pieces of cloths as they come off the loom. Quechquemitl designs are achieved through weaving (fiber, color, structure), surface ornamentation (usually embroidery) and finishes applied to the seams and edges.[ Various kinds of weaves are done for quechquemitls includes gauze, seersucker, brocade and curved or shaped weaving. The finest gauze pieces are from the Sierra Norte de Puebla, with very complex arrangements of ]heddle
A heddle is an integral part of a loom. Each thread in the warp passes through a heddle,"Weaving." ''The Encyclopædia Britannica''. 11th ed. 1911. which is used to separate the warp threads for the passage of the weft."Heddle." ''The Oxford ...
s, often with six used and as many as twenty have been noted. These gauze weavings tend to be more complex than those used for huipils. Some appear as a checkerboard pattern. Seersucker is used by adding commercial threads in stripes along with the handspun threads. The commercial threads do not shrink when washed and the puckering effect is created. Weft brocade is a decorative technique where heavier threads are introduced in the weft
Warp and weft are the two basic components used in weaving to turn thread or yarn into fabric. The lengthwise or longitudinal warp yarns are held stationary in tension on a frame or loom while the transverse weft (sometimes woof) is dra ...
to create patterns. A looped brocade is also created by tugging on these weft threads to raise them. These brocades are often mistaken as embroidery in both Mexican and Guatemalan textiles. The curved weaving technique is particularly complicated and unique. Part of the warp is of white cotton and part a colored wool, either red or pink. The wool warp is much longer than the cotton at a point in the weaving producing warp faced fabric. The wool warp is cult and used as weft in a weft faced band, given the look of a colored border. The curvature is designed to fall on the shoulders of the wearer.[ This type of garment can be found in the Sierra Norte de Puebla region.][
There are three methods of joining the pieces of cloth. The first uses two rectangles of cloth with the narrow end of each joined to the long side of the other. This creates a warped loop whose points can be worn front/back or over the shoulders. Another is made with one long rectangle which is folded in half for a square look. The fold goes over one arm the edges going over the other arm are partially sewn, leaving space for the head to pass. A variation on this is two squares of fabric with the arm/shoulder seams sewn, leaving a neck opening. Another variation which is rare is made from a single rectangle from which a smaller rectangle has been cut. Then folded over, the two narrowest edges are sewn. It is worn with points hanging off the shoulders.][
]
History
The name “quechquemitl” (sometimes spelled quesquemitl, quezquemitl or quexquemitl) comes from Nahuatl and means “neck garment” (quechtli = neck and tlaquemitl = garment) .[ It has other names in other indigenous languages such as thayemlaab among the Huastecs.]
The garment has pre Hispanic origins and has been worn by some indigenous women for about 2,000 years.[ It is most likely that the garment originated with the Totonacs on the Gulf coast. It was brought to the Mexican highlands by the Otomis.][ In the pre Hispanic era, the quechquemitl was worn with huipil and a wrap around skirt, generally only for special occasions and by high-ranking women. It may even have been reserved for use by goddesses and those portraying them in ritual in the ]Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl ...
era. In this era, it was particularly associated with fertility goddesses possibly due to the origins of the garment in the Gulf Coast region and its fertility. These garments when worn by the nobility were made of cotton, sometimes with rabbit fur or feathers woven in for warmth and/or decoration.[ There was another variation in which the cloth was twisted before the edges sewn, resulting in a shape that conformed closer to the body. The name of Mixtec princesses often had the word “quechquemitl”. The garments were woven on backstrap looms, which can still be seen today, and dyed with natural colorings such as ]cochineal
The cochineal ( , ; ''Dactylopius coccus'') is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America through North Americ ...
, indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
and other plants, animals and minerals.[
After the Spanish conquest, the quechquemitl was adopted by all indigenous women. The garment was then worn alone, exposing the midriff or over a huipil. However, today neither of these uses are common.][ Treadle looms and spinning wheels were also introduced and well as sheep producing wool.][
Today, the quechquemitl is still worn but its use has diminished.][ However, it remains important in Mexican culture. Frida Kahlo, who was known for her wearing of Mexican indigenous clothing, had quechquemetls, including one from Puebla with symbols related to fertility which are no longer made.] There have been conferences and other academic events devoted to the garment, such as a CONACULTA
The Secretariat of Culture ( es, Secretaría de Cultura), formerly known as the National Council for Culture and Arts ( es, Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes or CONACULTA), is a Mexican government agency in charge of the nation's museums ...
sponsored conference at the Museo Nacional de Antropología
The National Museum of Anthropology ( es, Museo Nacional de Antropología, MNA) is a national museum of Mexico. It is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. Located in the area between Paseo de la Reforma and Mahatma Gandhi Street with ...
.[ and a conference on its use in Nahua and Huastec identities at the Centro de las Artes in San Luis Potosí.][
]
References
{{Folk costume
Mexican culture
Embroidery
Mexican clothing