aroma that accompanies a body on the journey of death. Today just one family in Tenancingo are continuing the tradition and creating this strange and rare rebozo.

Moving south, travelling through terrain filled with cacti as far as the eye can see, travellers will reach the state of Oaxaca, of particular interest due to the 15 indigenous groups that live in the area. It is a major centre for textiles and is a charming colonial town surrounded by the Sierra Madre highlands. Oaxaca offers the splendour of many exquisite churches, palaces, museums and galleries. Artist Francisco Toledo has been instrumental in the restoration of buildings and their transformation into museums and art centres. Toledo has adopted the city of Oaxaca and its wellbeing and is behind the creation of MACO, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, IAGO Artes grafico, and CASA de la Artes de San Agustin (an arts centre and gallery, renovated from a weaving factory in the foothills of the Sierra San Felipe, north of Oaxaca city). Toledo is the best known artist in the area and his presence is strong here – his pieces can be seen throughout town, in a stained glass window at San Pablo Museum, and a mosaic ceiling at MACO.

The Textile Museum is housed in a renovated palace, just off the main zocolo. It has a reference library open to the public. The museum mounts small concise exhibitions which highlight the textiles of Oaxaca and also runs workshops in weaving and dyeing taught by local artisans. The indoor Juarez market is a treasure of textiles. There is a large section selling the Tejuana costume consisting of embroidered tops and skirts which Frida Kahlo made famous.

The villages surrounding Oaxaca each have a specialism in textiles. Each direction out of the city offers a different landscape, and every journey is rewarding and stimulating. Teotitlan Del Valle is a rug making village the 4

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