Katarina Digman, Textile Collection

San Andrés Larrainzar, Chiapas, Mexico
	Hand made blouse from the Tzotzil Maya community of San Andrés Larrainzar, Chiapas, Mexico. Says Linda Abarbanell, who studies textiles of Chiapas, "The large diamond shapes, visible in the sleeves and in the central design block, symbolize the unity of earth and sky, with the east represented by the small diamond at the top and the west by the small diamond at the bottom. A butterfly design in the center of each large diamond represents the sun as it pauses at noon on its daily journey. This butterfly can be seen more clearly along the two vertical borders of the central block. The second to bottom row depicts two alternating figures, possibly male and female ancestral figures. The vertical lines extending above them symbolize the foundation of the world, the community and its history. The bottom row looks like it might be a snake, a fertility/earth symbol, with plants above and below its undulating form." [Personal communication, July 25, 2008.]

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