Guatemala is one of those countries where 60% of the population sees, in a way, the world through colours. For more than two thousand years, Mayan fabrics and clothing have served as an artistic support to convey the symbolic representations of their beliefs to the Mayas themselves and to those initiated in their culture: communication in the form of visual literature. We must take into account that the Mayan civilization, which had filled people with wonder and was recognized as one of the great ancient cultures saw a decline in the 9th century leaving scholars perplexed. While few vestiges remain of this greatness, textile art has crossed the centuries. As though, in the course of these rises and falls, a form of resistance implanted itself. As if, generation after generation, the Mayan women had decided to preserve the bond that linked them to their past. And here they wear there clothing as though they were carrying the world on their shoulders, as though they were paying homage to the gods and nature.
Guatemala: a symphony of colours. Photos and text ŠBruno Morandi/Lightmediation Contact - Thierry Tinacci Lightmediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com
1252-14: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - marchĂŠ du dimanche. Sunday market
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-01: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche. // Guatemala. Chichicastenango. Market of Sunday. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-02: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche Tissus. Sunday market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-03: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche Tissus. Sunday Market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-04: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche Detail de tissus. Sunday Market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-05: Guatemala - Totonicapan - MarchĂŠ du samedi. Saturday market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-06: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - MarchĂŠ du dimanche Tissus. Sunday market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-07: Guatemala -San Antonio Agua Calientes (Antigua) Tissage de textiles. Wool for weaving / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-08: Guatemala. Cuchumatanes. San Juan Atitan. Indiens Mam. // Guatemala. Cuchumatanes. San Juan Atitan. Mam Indian. / Guatemala // Guatemala /
1252-10: Guatemala -Lac Atitlan - Santa Catarina Palopo - Metiers Ă tisser de ceinture. Weaving.
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-09: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche Laine. Wool for weaving / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-10: Guatemala -Lac Atitlan - Santa Catarina Palopo - Metiers à tisser de ceinture. Weaving. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-11: Guatemala -Lac Atitlan - Santa Catarina Palopo - Metiers à tisser de ceinture Weaving. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-12: Guatemala - Marché hebdomadaire de Solola - / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-13: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - marché du dimanche. Sunday Market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-14: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - marché du dimanche. Sunday market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-15: Guatemala. Chichicastenango. marché du dimanche. // Guatemala. Sunday market of Chichicastenango. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-16: Guatemala - San Francisco El Alto - Marché du vendredi. Friday market. / Guatemala /
1252-08: Guatemala. Cuchumatanes. San Juan Atitan. Indiens Mam. // Guatemala. Cuchumatanes. San Juan Atitan. Mam Indian.
1252-52: Guatemala. Cuchumatanes. San Juan Atitan. Indiens Mam. // Guatemala. Cuchumatanes. San Juan Atitan. Mam Indian.
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-17: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche. Sunday market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-18: Guatemala - Antigua - Marché hebdomadaire // Guatemala. Antigua. Weekly market. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-19: Guatemala - Lac Atitlan - Santa Clara la Laguna - Marché du Mardi // Guatemala. Lake Atitlan. Santa Clara la Laguna. Market of Tuesday. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-20: Guatemala - Solola - Indien Cakchikel / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-21: Guatemala - Lac Atitlan - Santa Clara la LAguna - Marché du Mardi // Guatemala. Lake Atitlan. Santa Clara la Laguna. Market of Tuesday. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-22: Guatemala - San Martin Sacatepéquez - Fiesta pour la St Martin - Mere et son enfant. // Guatemala. San Martin Sacatepéquez. Festival of St Martin. Mother and
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-23: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - marché du dimanche. Sunday market. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-24: Guatemala - San Martin Sacatepéquez - Fiesta pour la San Martin / Guatemala /
1252-48: Guatemala - Solola - Indiens Cakchikel
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-25: Guatemala - Cuchumatanes - San Juan Atitan / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-26: Guatemala - Santiago de Atitlan / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-27: Guatemala - Aguatacan / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-28: Guatemala - San Martin Sacatepequez - Fiesta pour la Saint Martin / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-29: Guatemala - Solola - Indiens Cakchikel / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-30: Guatemala - Lac Atitlan - Santa Clara la Laguna - Marché du mardi. Tuesday market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-31: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Mere et son enfant au marché du dimanche. Sunday Market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-32: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche Poivrons. Sunday Market / Guatemala /
1252-56: Guatemala - Todos Santos de Cuchumatan. // Guatemala - Todos Santos de Cuchumatan.
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-33: Guatemala - Momostenango - Marché du dimanche Haricots secs. Sunday Market / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-34: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche. // Guatemala. Chichicastenango. Market of Sunday. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-35: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Marché du dimanche. // Guatemala. Chichicastenango. Market of Sunday. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-36: Guatemala. Chichicastenango. marche du dimanche. // Guatemala. Sunday market of Chichicastenango. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-37: Guatemala. Chichicastenango. marche du dimanche. // Guatemala. Sunday market of Chichicastenango. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-38: Guatemala - Solola - Indien Cakchikel - Marché hebdomadaire - poivrons / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-39: Guatemala - Lac Atitlan - Santa Clara la Laguna - Marché du Mardi - Enfant. // Guatemala. Lake Atitlan. Santa Clara la Laguna. Market of Tuesday. Baby. /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-40: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - marché du dimanche / Guatemala /
1252-24: Guatemala - San Martin SacatepĂŠquez - Fiesta pour la San Martin
1252-37: Guatemala. Chichicastenango. marche du dimanche. // Guatemala. Sunday market of Chichicastenango.
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-41: Guatemala - San Francisco el Alto - MarchĂŠ hebdomadaire / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-42: Guatemala - San Martin SacatepĂŠquez - Fiesta pour la saint Martin / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-43: Guatemala - San Martin Sacatepequez - Fiesta pour la saint Martin - Mains / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-44: Guatemala - Cuchumatanes - San Juan Atitan - Indiens Mam - Main / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-45: Guatemala -Solola - Marché hebdomadaire / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-46: Guatemala - San Martin Sacatepéquez - Fiesta pour la St Martin - Mere et son enfant // Guatemala. San Martin Sacatepéquez. Festival of St Martin. Mother and her
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-47: Guatemala - Solola - Indien Cakchikel - Mere et son enfant / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-48: Guatemala - Solola - Indiens Cakchikel / Guatemala /
1252-05: Guatemala - Totonicapan - MarchĂŠ du samedi. Saturday market
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-49: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - MarchĂŠ du dimanche / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-50: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - MarchĂŠ du dimanche. // Guatemala. Chichicastenango. Market of Sunday. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-51: Guatemala - San Francisco el Alto. // Guatemala. San Francisco l Alto. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-52: Guatemala. Cuchumatanes. San Juan Atitan. Indiens Mam. // Guatemala. Cuchumatanes. San Juan Atitan. Mam Indian. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-53: Guatemala - Todos Santos de Cuchumatan. // Guatemala Todos Santos de Cuchumatan. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-54: Guatemala - Chichicastenango - Escalier de l'ĂŠglise / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-55: Guatemala -Lac Atitlan - Santa Catarina Palopo. // Guatemala. Atitlan lake. Santa Catarina Palopo. / Guatemala /
Guatemala: A symphony of colours / 1252-56: Guatemala - Todos Santos de Cuchumatan. // Guatemala Todos Santos de Cuchumatan. / Guatemala /
1252-51: Guatemala - San Francisco el Alto. // Guatemala. San Francisco l Alto.
Guatemala: a symphony of colours. Guatemala is one of those countries where 60% of the population sees, in a way, the world through colours. For more than two thousand years, Mayan fabrics and clothing have served as an artistic support to convey the symbolic representations of their beliefs to the Mayas themselves and to those initiated in their culture: communication in the form of visual literature. We must take into account that the Mayan civilization, which had filled people with wonder and was recognized as one of the great ancient cultures thanks to its mastery of astronomy, the complexity of its writing and the giant proportions of its architecture, saw a decline in the 9th century leaving scholars perplexed. While few vestiges remain of this greatness, textile art has crossed the centuries. As though, in the course of these rises and falls, a form of resistance implanted itself. As if, generation after generation, the Mayan women had decided to preserve the bond that linked them to their past. And here they wear there clothing as though they were carrying the world on their shoulders, as though they were paying homage to the gods and nature. While descending the winding route that leads from the airport in Guatemala Ciudad, the new capital, to Antigua, the old one, one comes across the first Mayan Indians, stilled dressed in their multi-coloured traditional costumes. Then, by going from market to market, the
traveler will initiate him or herself in the different techniques of weaving, brocade and embroidery. The Sunday market in Chichicastenango (chichi to the familiar) remains one of the most colourful on the high plateaus of Guatemala. The Indians set up their stalls the evening before on the square across from the Santo Tomas church and sleep there amongst their fabrics and vegetables. Here, no doubt about it, the traveler can bargain for a "huipil" (woman's blouse or bodice), a "tzut" (multi-use blanket), a "faja" or a "cinta" (a more or less wide belt). Weaving is the great pride of Mayan women; they use belt looms of pre-Colombian origins (Telar de cintura) that they attach to a tree trunk and that they hold at the waist by a belt or sash, a veritable umbilical cord to the past. The men more willingly use the pedal loom introduced by the Spanish in the 17th century (telar de pie). The motifs reflect the animistic thought of the ancient Mayans: animals, plants, flowers, lightning, zigzags or other cosmic forms decorate the fabrics. Cotton and wool are the fibres traditionally used even though synthetic fibres have known a lot of success because of their cost and more modern colours. Not to be missed either is the lake Atitlan guarded by its three volcanoes with their perfect cone as though by so many gods. Each village there has its fashion, its style: the colour blue in Santa Catarina Polopo, red and skirts for the men in San Antonio Polopo, white and a 20 metre long turban wound around the woman's head in Santiago Atitlan, mauve and the air of a cowboy in Solola... After, one has to go to the villages of the Cuchumatanes chain to still appreciate the men's costumes influenced by those of the Spanish conquistadors: very wide jacket collar and sleeves, embroidered shirts,
striped pants... Because in the urban centres, Mayan men are exchanging more and more their traditional garb for western clothing, and here as elsewhere, it is the women who show themselves to be the true guardians of the traditions.