The roots of Yucatecan embroidery trace back to the times of the ancient Maya, as evidenced by fabric remnants found in the Chichén Itzá Sacred Cenote. In Yucatán, there are textile artists (both women and men) across the state’s 106 municipalities. In Yucatán, they master at least 30 of the 40 existing embroidery stitches in the country; as such, embroidery stands as one of the most significant symbols of identity, and recently, of economic progress.
UNESCO and Maya embroidery
In 2023, the initiative “Economic and Social Development with a Gender Perspective through Textile Art in Yucatán” was launched. Its main objectives include strengthening Yucatecan textile art, dignifying those who practice it, recognizing its cultural, social, and economic importance, promoting gender equity, and developing a Safeguarding Plan that ensures its viability. UNESCO implemented this initiative with valuable contributions from the BANORTE Foundation as well as the Yucatán state departments of Culture and Arts (SEDECULTA), Women (SEMUJERES), and the Yucatecan Institute of Entrepreneurs (IYEM).
The role of embroidery in Maya life
Embroidery has been an essential part of the Maya population’s life cycle. From birth to adulthood, ceremonies such as Jéets’ Méek’, (a social initiation practice to introduce Maya children to society) are adorned with embroidery.
Additionally, religious and spiritual life is enriched with embroidered shrouds, gowns for religious figures, banners, and standards. Women wear embroidered dresses during guild festivities and Vaquerías (traditional Yucatecan celebrations) dedicated to the patron saints of towns and cities.
Maya embroidery as part of religious celebrations
Beyond its symbolic and religious significance, embroidery has given rise to beliefs and is integral to the Maya worldview. It is also closely tied to the milpa, the traditional agricultural system that provides sustenance for families and has contributed to the existence of the jungle and its biological richness.
Maya embroidery, central to Yucatán’s traditional dress
The Hipil and Fustán, which constitute Yucatán’s traditional female attire dating back to pre-colonial times, are embroidered at the neckline and hem in a distinctive design pattern. This allows for the identification of those who wear them as belonging to the Yucatecan land. But it goes beyond that—it also enables the identification of specific regions based on the type of embroidery, composition, and colors.
In essence, embroidery is both a heritage and an identity of the Yucatán Península.
Photography by UNESCO and Olivia Camarena for its use in Yucatán Today.
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