Ángel Gil is a Mexican artisan who specialized in creating items from ixtle fiber. He has been named a “grand master” of Mexican handcrafts by the Fomento Cultural

Banamex #redirect Grupo Financiero Banamex Grupo Financiero Banamex S.A. de C.V. has its origins and is the owner of the Banco Nacional de México or Banamex (branded as Citibanamex 2016-2025). It is the second-largest bank in Mexico. The Banamex Finan ...

. Gil was born in Xichú,

Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...

in central Mexico, an area known for its fiber arts, learning to make rope and carrying bags from his father. These items are made from

ixtle Ixtle, also known by the trade name Tampico fiber, is a stiff fiber crop, plant fiber obtained from a number of Mexican plants, chiefly species of ''Agave'' and ''Yucca''. The principal source is ''Agave lechuguilla'', the dominant ''Agave'' spec ...

, a fiber which is derived from the large, thick fronds of the

maguey Maguey may refer to various American plants: * Genus ''Agave'', especially ** Species ''Agave americana ''Agave americana'', commonly known as the century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a flowering plant species belonging to the family Asp ...

and similar plants. He prefers to prepare the fiber himself. He cuts the frond then covers them in water with

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

, leaving them soak for a week underground. After this, the fronds are beaten with a wooden mallet over a smooth stone then frees the underlying fiber from the pulp. The fiber is then washed in soapy water and laid out to dry in the sun. He spins the fiber into string using a malacate, a simple large needle that spins in a cup, all controlled by hand. He specializes in the making of a very strong rope and various types of carrying bags decorated with country scenes. The latter are woven on a

backstrap loom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but th ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gil, Angel Mexican artists Living people Artists from Guanajuato Year of birth missing (living people)