Shapes

In Guatemalan weaving, shapes are very symbolic and have many meanings. While most woven designs are figures or animals, there are some geometric designs that hold particular meanings. One of the most common is the “universe design.” This Mayan design is a diamond shape with smaller diamonds in each corner and in the center. In the Mayan view of the world, east is at the top, where the sun rises, and it sinks at the bottom. The northern diamond is on the left and the southern diamond is on the right, and both are often colored blue for the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Curling lines often fill out the remained of the design.

Another common horizontal design is the “ancestor design.” In this design, one part represents corn, with a diamond at the top and curling stylized leaves coming off of the stalk. In between the corn symbols are figures that look a bit like people with their arms raised. These are the supernatural ancestors who were the first to plant corn and live like human beings.

Other common geometric designs are triangles, which represent mountains, and curls with lines radiating from them, which represent ceremonial flags. Other common weaving patterns include birds, flowers, and various plants. For a woman’s blouse, called a huipil by the Mayans (See: Count with me), the hole for the head of the person often represents the center of the world, and might have star shapes or flowers surrounding it. Often each design is unique to a particular village and passed on from mothers to their daughters.

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