"On the northern edge of Los Altos, Mexico, is the municipality of Pantelhó. With cities and villages situated in the valleys of tropical, mountainous terrain, Pantelhó is also home to communities of Tzotzil-speaking Mayan artisans who weave distinctive, backstrap-loomed textiles. Their traditional huipil design features narrow, alternating stripes of red and white, decorated by multicolored bands of embroidery around the neckline and embroidered chevrons at the sleeves. Toads, stars, and other symbols are either woven or embroidered onto the stripes in vertical columns. Weavers of contemporary Pantelhó blusas incorporate vibrant pinks, greens, purples, and other colors made possible by modern threads, creating some of the most distinctive textiles in Chiapas. Learn more about "Empowering Threads: Textiles of Jolom Mayaetik" on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/EmpoweringThreads" This was posted to our Instagram account on December 19, 2017 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729358797/

Nettles workshop at Sätergläntan. Take out the fiber, spin the fiber and weave with it. #sätergläntan #stingingnettles #brännässla #plantfibers #weaving #backstraploom

"On the northern edge of Los Altos, Mexico, is the municipality of Pantelhó. With cities and villages situated in the valleys of tropical, mountainous terrain, Pantelhó is also home to communities of Tzotzil-speaking Mayan artisans who weave distinctive, backstrap-loomed textiles. Their traditional huipil design features narrow, alternating stripes of red and white, decorated by multicolored bands of embroidery around the neckline and embroidered chevrons at the sleeves. Toads, stars, and other symbols are either woven or embroidered onto the stripes in vertical columns. Weavers of contemporary Pantelhó blusas incorporate vibrant pinks, greens, purples, and other colors made possible by modern threads, creating some of the most distinctive textiles in Chiapas. Learn more about "Empowering Threads: Textiles of Jolom Mayaetik" on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/EmpoweringThreads" This was posted to our Instagram account on December 19, 2017 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729358803/

""In the past the weaving process was very arduous. My grandmother told me that they used cotton; they didn't buy yarn as we do now; they had to prepare everything. I don't know where they got it; only that they had a place where they prepared the cotton and then they wove the blouses and the men's clothing. We no longer have to do all that. Now we buy the thread in the stores; it is ready to use and we only have to make balls and can weave it quickly. We cannot compare the work of our grandmothers with the work we do today. Life has changed, but I don't know if it has improved or worsened." -Magdalena López López, Weaver, Jolom Mayaetik, Weaving Chiapas: Maya Women's Lives in a Changing World. Learn more about "Empowering Threads: Textiles of Jolom Mayaetik" on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/EmpoweringThreads" This was posted to our Instagram account on February 09, 2018 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729358573/

"Our newest exhibition, "Empowering Threads: Textiles of Jolom Mayaetik" will feature this 8-foot-long loom! Contemporary weavers in Los Altos de Chiapas, located in the central highlands of southern Mexico, are preserving ancient Mayan art and culture. Working on backstrap looms, these artisans are utilizing methods passed down through generations to combine old-world symbolism with new colors and designs. See "Empowering Threads: Textiles of Jolom Mayaetik" opening next week, pre-security, in the International Terminal. " This was posted to our Instagram account on August 10, 2017 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729359203/

"Autonomous craft organizations provide artisans with a market for their goods and offer strength in numbers to their collective membership. In Chiapas, the more progressive weaving cooperatives also promote solidarity by creating a space for members of different communities to socialize and discuss current problems and issues. In 1996, the founding members of Jolom Mayaetik fought to form their new cooperative for pressing reasons, including declining wages, rising costs of living, and mismanagement of government-run cooperatives they previously worked for. Frustrated with exclusion from local government and marginal political representation outside of their communities, Jolom weavers also sought sociopolitical empowerment. Today, Jolom Mayaetik holds educational courses, lobbies for political inclusion, and lectures locally and internationally to promote the rights of women and indigenous people in Mexico. Learn more about "Empowering Threads: Textiles of Jolom Mayaetik" on display, pre-security, in the International Terminal. http://bit.ly/EmpoweringThreads" This was posted to our Instagram account on January 20, 2018 – https://millsfield.sfomuseum.org/instagram/1729358677/