Five hundred years of weaving tradition, knotted into the fringe of a single shawl.
The artisan who wove this rebozo in Michoacán is known in her community for one thing above all others: color. Her stripe combinations are composed with the deliberateness of a painter, each band chosen for how it speaks to the next. At each end, the cotton and rayon body gives way to the elaborately hand-knotted silk fringe the Purepecha call rapacejo — "flowers." Real feathers are worked in among them. The whole piece takes approximately one month to complete on a telar de cintura.
The story
The Purepecha (P'urhépecha) of Michoacán are among the oldest continuous weaving communities in Mexico. Their backstrap loom — the telar de cintura — is one of the most ancient textile tools in the Americas, and its technique has been passed from weaver to weaver without a written pattern since before the Spanish arrived. The rebozo Alhuiran style woven here has been produced in this community for generations.
Materials & craftsmanship
Fabric: 100% cotton woven with rayon
Fringe: Hand-tied silk "flowers" (rapacejo)
Accents: Natural feathers woven into the fringe
Technique: Backstrap loom (telar de cintura)
Origin: Michoacán, Mexico — Purepecha (P'urhépecha) community
Time to weave: Approximately one month per piece
Dimensions
Length: 76.0 inches (193.0 cm)
Width: 30.0 inches (76.2 cm)
Frequently asked questions
What is rapacejo? Rapacejo is the Purepecha term for the elaborate hand-knotted silk fringe at each end of the rebozo. Each "flower" is tied individually by the artisan — there is no shortcut to making it.
How is this different from a machine-made shawl? The backstrap loom produces an irregularity and tension in the weave that no machine can replicate. Combined with the hand-knotted fringe, the result is a textile with a distinct physical presence.
Is the color the same on both sides? Yes — backstrap-loom weaving is a through-and-through construction. The color is consistent across the entire cloth.
Styling
Drape it over a simple dress or pants for an evening that deserves a textile with this history. Use it as an oversized scarf. Display it as a wall textile. Whatever you do with it, treat it as the award-winning work it is.
