Rare Authentic Guatemala Huipils

Rare Authentic Guatemala Huipils

Finding Rare Authentic Guatemala Handmade Huipils? A Guatemala Handmade Huipil is always recognized throughout Guatemala for the fascinating patterns and colors, a Huipil (pronounced wee-peel) is an embroidered blouse worn by the Mayan women of Guatemala. The design of each Huipil represents the Mayan cultural significance of each and village identified by the Huipils, style, and pattern.

Huipil

Authentic Guatemala Handmade Huipils are handwoven on backstrap looms, a single Huipils can take anywhere from six months to a year to complete, if you find one the end result is a one-of-a-kind work of art. The patterns and meanings have held true throughout the years, dating back to the ancient Mayan civilizations.

Authentic Guatemala Handmade Huipils

However, today many of the Huipils offered for sale in Guatemala are made from commercial fabric, not handmade woven textiles. Authentic Huipils are often purchased by those selling Guatemala products on-line. The Textiles are sadly cut up and destroyed to be used in what is called upcycling of the Huipils like the textiles one sees on Leather Bags to accent the Bag.

How can you tell an Authentic Guatemala Handmade Huipils from a fake or machine made?

Authentic Guatemala Handmade Huipils

The demand for Tourism in Guatemala has also created a very limited supply of Authentic Huipils. The result is for those without a trained eye a challenge to find an original work of art. One of the easiest ways to tell a Fake from Real is to turn the Huipil inside out. If you cannot see the thread work of the hand embroidery work, then you have a fake or machine-made.

This Huipil has been turned inside out to expose the detailed hand embroidery found only on a Handmade Huipil.

Authentic Guatemala Handmade Huipils

Throughout Guatemala, you will find Huipils in shops in Antigua, Chichicastenango, Totonicapan. Nahuala, and other Lake Atitlan villages. Prices range from a few Hundred Quetzal to Thousands depending on the age and condition of the Huipil, the village the Huipil came from and the Pattern as each village offers a distinctive Huipil design.

If you are looking for an Authentic Huipil check out Ethical Fashion Guatemala.