A Taste of Backstrap Weaving

THIS TOUR HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Backstrap weaving in Mesoamerica has pre-hispanic origins and is the oldest, most common and highly reguarded art.  Zapotec and Maya goddesses weave.  Weaving is considered a way of communicating with the gods.

Yet watching an accomplished backstrap weaver can be as baffling as enlightening.  I have two up-coming events that are designed to enlighten you about backstrap weaving.

Victoria Hernandez, an Amuzgo,weaving brocade on her backstrap loom a San Pablo Cultural Center

1. A lecture/demonstration on Backstrap Weaving by me, Karren K. Brito, on this Friday, January 19, 2018, 5pm at the Oaxacan Lending Library.  This lecture will be in English.

 

Arturo Hernandez of Mitla weaving on a backstrap loom.

2. A one day tour, A TASTE OF WEAVING, on Friday, 2 Feburary 2018.  Tour leaders:Karren K. Brito and Pablo Gonzalez Marsch (both bilingual).

We will go to Bia Begung weaving and dyeing studio in Mitla. Maestro Arturo Hernandez weaves on a back-strap loom, and has many floor looms for production weaving and an efficient natural dye studio which he will shows us.

Each participant will have their own prepared back-strap looms. Karren and Arturo will be helping teach you how the weaving proceeds.  You need to open the sheds in the right sequences and pass the shuttle. 

We will take a break from weaving and Pablo will take you on a tour of the Mitla ruins with their designs inspired by weaving and have lunch at a local restaurant. Then we will return to the weaving studio for more weaving before, returning to Oaxaca.

The limit is 5 people.  The tour costs 1600 Mexican pesos per person and includes:

• transportation from OLL at 8:30 am and returning to OLL about 6pm, transportation to the ruins and to lunch
• Bia Begung studio visit
• Use of the prepared looms and instruction
• Guided tour of Mitla ruins (pre-hispanic Zapotec)
• Lunch, with non-alcoholic drinks ( alcoholic drinks cost extra)
• Bottled water

For further information contact Karren by leaving a comment here.  To sign up contact Pablo at +52 1 (951) 134 7391, by WhatsApp or by calling or an email to marsch@prodigy.net.mx.

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