Mixco servietta. (table runner)

Mixco huipil. Mixco huipils are probably the most rare and collectible huipil among Guatemalan Maya textiles. This one is an outstanding example. However, there are questions about its authenticity. Was it made in Mixco for a Mixco woman who wore it in Mixco? [Note that Mixco is now completely enclosed within Guatemala City.] This huipil was examined by Ray Senuk, a moted authority and member of the board of the Friends of the Ixchel Museum. He said it had two deviations from the collected examples in museums. One, it was longer than wide. And second, the embroidery on the outer panels should be done on an open weave base and on this one, it is not. This huipil is suspiciously reminiscent of the Mixco huipil depicted on page 157 of Carmen Petersen’s “Maya de Guatemala”. In my best judgment, this huipil is most likely a copy, probably made 20-25 years ago, but a very, very good one. Regardless, it IS a Mixco huipil and a very beautiful example. All the embroidery is done by hand and in a deep purple silk, some faded to silver on the female figures on the front. The white base panels all feature very precise raised-weft weaving. The head and arm openings are trimmed in a silver silk crochet. I see one misplaced embroidery stitch, possibly because weavers sometimes add a purposeful defect because “only God is perfect”. It was found deep in an armoire at the Museo de Tejido Antiquo in San Antonio Aguas Calientes. It is in excellent, although not in like-new condition. W 77 x L 88 cm. 23-08. $ 1200 or best offer.