Rebozos Tenancingo

     Tenancingo is recognized throughout the world for the quality of its rebozos. The rebozo is a type of shawl worn by women in Mexico. It is a narrow, one-piece elongated fabric and is fringed at each end with an elaborate and finely knotted macrame, called "la punta".  The "empuntadoras" , the name for the women who knot the fringe, create attractive geometric designs and sometimes incorporate words or expressions in their work. Some add beads and others feathers in their work. The fabric making up the body of the rebozo is generally made of cotton, but may be of wool, synthetic fiber, and silk. The rebozo is used by all classes of people, for warmth, to carry babies, carry loads, for head coverings, and as elegant decoration. Most rebozos are woven on a pedal loom, but there are still some craftsmen who still use a back strap loom. Weaving is done mainly by men with women hand knotting the fringe. Tenancingo has about 30 weavers and almost two hundred empuntadoras.                                   

Histories of the rebozo:
    The origin of the rebozo in Mexico is uncertain. One theory is that it came to Mexico via Manila. Another theory is that it is a derivation of the Manton de Manila from Canton, China. Still others say it is the evolution of an indigenous art created by weaving the native ixtle, or agave fiber, or it sprung up here independently. I think the Tenancingo rebozo is a combination of parts from many different places. The model however for ikat dyeing of fabrics originated in Mindinao in the Philippines.
The making of a rebozo:
     The beauty of a rebozo comes from the arduous work involved.
On average it takes between thirty and sixty days to weave a traditional rebozo, with anywhere between 15 and 200 steps needed depending on the complexity of the design and the type of fiber being used. The dying process is done before weaving, using the ikat method.  The ikat process: The term "ikat" comes from the Malay word 'meningkat', which means to bind or to join. This refers to the tie-dyeing method used to give these textiles vitality of color and design.

     First the weaver tie dyes the threads, the ties creating a resist to the dye.The long bundle of threads is soaked in water for 20 minutes, after which, the water is wrung out. The damp warp is then dyed by repeatedly submerging it in a hot dye bath. The ikat-dyed warp is then stretched out to dry. These stretched out threads can be seen suspended along the curbs in various parts of Tenancingo. After dying, the knots are removed, leaving undyed white areas that create a pattern. Several different ikat patterns are used. The location of the knots and afterwards the position of the warp on the loom determine the pattern. Ikat dyed threads or warp threads  alternate with solid (weft) threads on the loom.  Some ikat weavers do not try to get precisely aligned patterns. Because the pattern is slightly out of register the finished pattern seems to vibrate or shimmer.

La Punta:

After weaving the cloth, the rebozo is turned over to women who are experts in hand knotting the fringe or "punta". There are between 1800 and 5000 threads to be knotted. What sets the rebozos from Tenancingo, and Malinalco apart from shawls found in other countries is the very fine work of the endings called, "puntas" or "rapacejos". The knotting has been called by some people a type of lacework. It can take months to complete the punta on some of the finer rebozos. Ikats have been symbols of status, wealth, power and prestige, the difficulty and time required to make them. In some cultures they are considered to have mystical powers.  The empuntadoras are distinguished by their dexterity and creativity. The knotting of each rapacejo takes empuntadoras between three weeks and various months. The duration of the procedure depends on the refinement of the garment.