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Saltillo-style
sarape
Sarapes were an essential item for the vaqueros, or cowboys, of the ranches of northern Mexico in the 18th and 19th centuries, serving as cloak, sleeping blanket and saddle padding as needed. During the Mexican War of Independence from Spain from 1810 to 1821, the vaquero was idealized into a national hero and his sarape became an icon of the new Mexican national identity. The finest sarapes, such as this classic example, were extremely expensive and were probably worn by hacienda owners and other gentlemen as part of their riding costume, along with elaborately wrought silver spurs and embroidered chaps. The town of Saltillo in northern Mexico hosted a major annual trade fair
at which sarapes woven throughout the area were sold, and so lends
its name to fine sarapes in the classic style. This sarape
may have taken up to a year to weave in the tapestry technique, with each
of the 80 weft yarns per inch added by hand only where needed to form
the design. The diagonal design and serrated edges of the motifs, typical
of Mexican sarapes, minimize the openings between different color
areas to create a supple, smooth fabric with intricate patterning. cotton warp, wool weft; slit and dovetailed tapestry weave |
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