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artworks, particularly sculptures in the central walking area. Whilst in Mexico City don’t miss the Bazaar Sabato, or Saturday market, held in the colonial leafy southern neighbourhood of San Angel. This market is both indoors and outdoors spreading over two pretty plazas with cobbled streets. Once again, all regions of Mexican crafts are represented here, with visiting vendors and artisans. Worth visiting is nearby Coyoacan, home of Frida Kahlo and a wonderful indoor market. The streets of Coyoacan are sophisticated and tree-lined, with many places of interest, including the Frida Kahlo Museum and the spectacular Nacional Museum de Culturas Populares which has exhibitions relating to textiles. There are towns within reach of a day trip from Mexico City which include Tenancingo, Estado de Mexico, home to the cotton ikat rebozo. A rebozo is a Mexican shawl with a hand laced fringed edge, as worn by Frida Kahlo. At the Sunday market the weavers and the empuntadoras (ladies who interlace the fringes by hand) gather to buy and sell their merchandise. It is busy and crowded, and one is surrounded by the empuntadoras hoping to sell finished shawls to enable them to buy newly woven ones to work on. Tenancingo is set in a valley, and the journey itself, meandering through this flower growing region, its hills dotted with greenhouses, is lovely. The road winds down the hillside to Tenancingo, and the market is centrally located by the main church. There is a wide choice of the cotton rebozo to be found in the market, and visits to the weavers’ studios can be arranged. A particular rebozo is made here, called ‘aroma de luto’. It is a black, scented death shroud – hand dyed and infused with the fragrance of plants and herbs. During the dry season marigolds, rose petals, calla lilies, sage, tarragon and cinnamon are infused over a number of weeks to create the distinctive SELVEDGE 70
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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 SELVEDGE 71

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artworks, particularly sculptures in the central walking area.

Whilst in Mexico City don’t miss the Bazaar Sabato, or Saturday market, held in the colonial leafy southern neighbourhood of San Angel. This market is both indoors and outdoors spreading over two pretty plazas with cobbled streets. Once again, all regions of Mexican crafts are represented here, with visiting vendors and artisans. Worth visiting is nearby Coyoacan, home of Frida Kahlo and a wonderful indoor market. The streets of Coyoacan are sophisticated and tree-lined, with many places of interest, including the Frida Kahlo Museum and the spectacular Nacional Museum de Culturas Populares which has exhibitions relating to textiles.

There are towns within reach of a day trip from Mexico City which include Tenancingo, Estado de Mexico, home to the cotton ikat rebozo. A rebozo is a Mexican shawl with a hand laced fringed edge, as worn by Frida Kahlo. At the Sunday market the weavers and the empuntadoras (ladies who interlace the fringes by hand) gather to buy and sell their merchandise. It is busy and crowded, and one is surrounded by the empuntadoras hoping to sell finished shawls to enable them to buy newly woven ones to work on.

Tenancingo is set in a valley, and the journey itself, meandering through this flower growing region, its hills dotted with greenhouses, is lovely. The road winds down the hillside to Tenancingo, and the market is centrally located by the main church. There is a wide choice of the cotton rebozo to be found in the market, and visits to the weavers’ studios can be arranged.

A particular rebozo is made here, called ‘aroma de luto’. It is a black, scented death shroud – hand dyed and infused with the fragrance of plants and herbs. During the dry season marigolds, rose petals, calla lilies, sage, tarragon and cinnamon are infused over a number of weeks to create the distinctive

SELVEDGE 70

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