19th Century Ikat Rebozo

This 19th century ikat rebozo was made in Mexico out of blue, black, and white silk. The design is geometric and the textile terminates in knotted tassels.

The rebozo is one of the main components of the traditional wear of Mexican women, along with the poncho, huipil and serape. It has dual function; to provide warmth when worn and as a carrying aid. With its origins both indigenous and Spanish colonial, it is a cross between a shawl and a scarf and it could be made of silk, cotton, wool or rayon. It is a rectangle decorated with a warp faced ikat design. The long warp ends are hand tied in complicated patterns into continuous fringes. The finest silk rebozos are so thin they could pass through a wedding band. Stylistically rebozos are divided into three groups- the traditional with delicate feather like ikat patterning, the regional with unique patterns for different regions and the contemporary made with a stylistic liberty.