Quechquemitl

The quechquemitl (also spelled quezquemitl) is a garment which has been worn by certain indigenous ethnicities in Mexico since the pre-Hispanic period.

It usually consists of two pieces of rectangular cloth, often woven by hand, which is sewn together to form a poncho or shawl like garment, which is usually worn hanging off the shoulders.

Since the colonial period, it has been adopted by various peoples, mostly living in central Mexico, for everyday wear, festival and rituals, but its use has declined.

[2][3] Quechquemitls are generally worn with various other garments, such as a wraparound skirt tied with a sash, huipil and blouse.

Younger women from the same communities prefer commercial blouses and shirts, reserving the quechquemitl for market days and festivals.

[1][3] Peoples noted for the making of quechquemilts include the Huastecs, the Nahuas, the Tepehuas, the Huichols and the Otomis and the decoration of the garment can identify from which group it comes.

[1] The Huastecs in Tancanhuitz de Santos, San Luis Potosí and the Huichols in Jalisco and Nayarit make their quechquemitls in an undyed cotton, which is heavily embroidered with flowers and animals in various colors.

The Nahuas of San Francisco Chapantla, Hidalgo and Hueyapan, Puebla decorate their huipils with fretwork, animals and flowers.

Quechquemitl designs are achieved through weaving (fiber, color, structure), surface ornamentation (usually embroidery) and finishes applied to the seams and edges.

The finest gauze pieces are from the Sierra Norte de Puebla, with very complex arrangements of heddles, often with six used and as many as twenty have been noted.

[1] In the pre Hispanic era, the quechquemitl was worn with huipil and a wrap around skirt, generally only for special occasions and by high-ranking women.

These garments when worn by the nobility were made of cotton, sometimes with rabbit fur or feathers woven in for warmth and/or decoration.

The garments were woven on backstrap looms, which can still be seen today, and dyed with natural colorings such as cochineal, indigo and other plants, animals and minerals.

Frida Kahlo, who was known for her wearing of Mexican indigenous clothing, had quechquemetls, including one from Puebla with symbols related to fertility which are no longer made.

[4] and a conference on its use in Nahua and Huastec identities at the Centro de las Artes in San Luis Potosí.