THE TAJIN TOTONAC — PART 1 — KELLY AND PALERM 



227 



WEAVING 



Since early times, the Totonac have been known 

 as producers of cotton and of cotton textiles 

 (Sahagun 3: 129). Hueytlalpan paid tribute to 

 Moctezuma in cloth (Kelacion de Hueytlalpan) , as 

 did Jojupango, later, to her Spanish encomenderos 

 (Relacion de Jojupango) . Jonotla is said to have 

 a brisk trade in cotton and woven materials, from 

 the proceeds of which tribute was paid (Paso y 

 Troncoso 5 : 130-131). In "Cempoala," the Toto- 

 nac "principals" were elegantly garbed in ricas 

 manias, and the latter also figure among their gifts 

 to Cortes (Diaz del Castillo 1:171). 



Too, it is evident that the Huasteca produced 

 highly prized textiles (Sahagun 3:131-132), 

 which were acceptable to the Mexicans as tribute 

 (Tezozomoc, pp. 110, 129) . In fact, a tradition of 

 good weaving appears to be found pretty much 

 along the whole Gulf coast, for the Maya, too, were 

 noted for their excellent woven products (Ponce 

 2 : 390-391) . Today, among the Popoluca, whose 

 culture as a whole appears very modest, weaving 

 is described as the "crowning glory" of their handi- 

 work (Foster, 1940, p. 14). 



Cotton weaving is one of the few old crafts 

 which has survived in Taj in, and 10 women — all 

 but 3 either middle-aged or elderly — still produce 

 texti]es on a belt loom. A few weavers in out- 

 lying parcels may have escaped attention, but a 

 relatively small number of women is involved. 



Ordinarily, as a young girl, a weaver learns 

 from her mother, her elder sister, or her grand- 

 mother. Although the older women complain 

 that girls are not interested in weaving, there are 

 two cases in which a young woman, already adult, 

 has expressed interest and has asked her mother 

 or a friend to teach her. There is a modest but 

 steady demand for hand-woven products in Taj in, 

 but current prices do not make production very 

 appealing from a monetary standpoint. 



Both as regards quantity and quality of output, 

 cotton weaving in Taj in is on the downgrade. 

 We were able to purchase a few pieces, made some 

 years ago, and with them current products com- 

 pare most unfavorably. The older specimens are 

 of handspun thread, finely woven (pi. 30, c, d), 

 whereas modern textiles usually are of commer- 

 cial thread, sloppily and coarsely manufactured 

 (pi. 30, f, g). As a corollary of this decline, rela- 

 tively little native cotton is grown today. Iso- 



lated plants of white lint cotton still are to be seen 

 in house clearings, but the brown lint form has all 

 but disappeared. Since cotton is used primarily 

 for weaving, there is little interest in maintain- 

 ing the native plant. 



TEXTILE PRODUCTS 



Today, local woven textiles are limited to 

 three products: 



Manteles (mantilis) (sic) (pi. 29). — These are simple 

 squares or rectangles, whose size varies from 33 by 39 to 

 69 by 92 cm., exclusive of fringe. The smaller ones are 

 used to wrap tortillas. Larger ones serve occasionally 

 as tablecloths or as hand towels (for guests), but their 

 principal use is to cover the contents of the wooden tray 

 which is borne on the head. The cloth is so arranged 

 that the ornamental fringe hangs over the edge of the 

 tray, above the eyes. Commercial cloth may be used as 

 a substitute, but among the women it is rather a matter 

 of pride to use a home-made product. Accordingly, there 

 is a certain demand for the mantel. 



At spaced intervals, the latter has extra thick weft 

 threads woven into the fabric, which result in a corded 

 effect. Usually, in the course of weaving, these are 

 plucked to form loops or pile on the right side. Such 

 loops are combined in simple designs, either geometric or 

 conventionalized (pp. 231-235). This technique is one 

 widely used in Mexico and often known as confitillo; the 

 chances are that it is not native, but introduced. 23 



Sometimes the contrast between the background and 

 design is emphasized by using brown lint cotton for the 

 latter, heavy white thread for the former. 



Ordinarily, the mantel terminates in simple, short fringe 

 at the end where the weaving was started ; usually this 

 is simply twisted or knotted. But at the terminal end, 

 a considerable length of warp is left, which is tied into 

 elaborate and varied fringe (p. 235). 



Ruedos (apostikat, akpuStikat). — These are long, nar- 

 row strips, some almost sashlike. Measurements, in cen- 

 timeters, of seven specimens purchased at random are as 

 follows : 28 by 70, 32 by 99, 35 by 81, 37 by 83, 37 by 97, 

 46 by 93, 45 by 88. Some, proportionately wider (43 by 

 76, 57 by 118), are used as hand towels. The narrower 

 ones are twisted and rolled to form the pad on the head 

 when burdens are carried — water from the arroyo, or the 

 wooden tray with assorted contents. Regardless of pro- 

 portion or function, the Totonac name is the same. 



The ruedo is little ornamented. Pile designs are not 

 used. Occasionally brown and white lint cotton is com- 

 bined, resulting in a sort of shot-color effect, which is 

 very pleasing. Other ornament may consist of a couple 

 of colored stripes, of commercial embroidery thread, 

 woven into each end, or a simple cross-stitch design may 

 be added as a border. 



53 Information from Irmgard Weltlnner Johnson, who has found 

 the same technique employed in old Spanish textiles. 



