Mayan_woman_clothing

Besides other duties one of the top priorities for women was the weaving of cotton cloth for their family because textiles were a significant form of art and religious beliefs. In ancient Maya women had two natural types of cotton to work with, one white and the other light brown, both of which were commonly be dyed. The preparation of cotton for spinning was very burdensome, as it had to be washed and picked clean of seeds. Mayan women wove in patterns on a backstrap loom with spindle fibers and bone picks. Bone picks were unique in that they had different designs for most families and were usually passed done from generation to generation with the elite having the most expensive and beautiful. Elite women were also given the opportunity to work with the most expensive dyes, feathers, and pearl beads. However, women of the elite not only had to prepare the best clothing for their families they also had to be talented in weaving tapestry, brocade, embroidery, and tie-dyeing for tribute to other families and rulers. Weavers had three different natural dyes to work with, indigo which supplied different shades of blue. Cochineal, an insect that when crushed and dried makes the color red, and a coastal mollusk which they used to whiten cloth by extracting fluid from its glands. Women also worked with maguey, which is a variety of fibers taken from an agaves plant. Maguey was of major value as a cordage material used for horse gear, nets, hammocks, and bags.