Day 4 – A Day of Overwhelming Embroidery

Sunday was another chuck full day..New in the morning and old in the evening, both stunning.
We drove out from Tehauntepec to Juchitan, about ten miles northeast. It is a town and on the map that had a big market in the square and lots of people were out because it was Sunday. We visited a contemporary embroidery artist. The pictures show how unique and gorgeous her work is.
Back home in Tehauntepec we visited a man whose family has been here for generations. He inherited the family’s huge home. He showed us his amazing collection of embroidered skirts and huipils. One after another along with commentary. The blank area on the chest was very large on the old pieces so there was space to show off gold jewelry. Today there is always a blank, un embroidered area as a token space but small.
Mr. Jose Manuel Villallobos showed a few of the white pieces with the ruffle that goes around the face and fake arms which dangle in front and in back of the body. These intrigued me at the textile museum on the first day. You’ll see photos of them being modeled. They are worn surrounding the face going into church and over the head and over the shoulders and back when leaving the church (as I understood it).
His house was lovely and very spacious. One area had two old, old floor looms all with features that old European looms had like I wrote about in my books. And like my own looms have that Jim Ahrens built.
We had dinner there. I feel full to the brim spiritually, mentally, and full of a wonderful dinner in a Mexican setting.
I forgot to tell about the beginning of the day when we visited Zenida Ortega Martinez before leaving our town of Tehauntepec. She showed embroideries that her mother made and ones she made herself besides her large collection. She also showed how she could balance a glass on her head. She did this with a full glass again at dinner.
Tomorrow is another day of hours on windy mountain road to Mitla. We retrace our way back toward Oaxaca about 3/4 of the distance. Mitla is at a junction of a small road heading northeast.