May 2, 2008

Portraits: Maya Woman Lake Atitlan Guatemala

The portrait of this Maya woman was taken in Santa Catarina a small village on the shores of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

She was selling beautiful woven textiles, like the ones you see her wearing and was kind enough to pose for this photograph. Many Mayan women make a living selling hand woven textiles. Her clothing is specific to her village. In Santa Catarina the blue and geometric pattern was introduced in the 1980s, replacing a predominantly red design.

Related Reading:

Traditional Mayan Textiles


3 comments:

GMG said...

Hi Wendy! Nice pictures this week.
London certainly changed and the Dubai souks are incredible! But the Guatemalan lady looks gorgeous!
Thanks for your comment on Blogtrotter, where I’m exploring a new country now. Surprise! ;)
Hope you have a great weekend!

Wendy said...

Hi Gil,
Thank you. Hope you have a good weekend as well.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love the Mayan culture. Since I was in high school, I always loved learning about the history and culture of the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas. I especially enjoyed reading about Rigoberta Menchu, a Maya-Quiche indigenous Guatemalan who has fought for indigenous rights after experiencing first-hand the struggles for all indigenous Guatemalans during and after the Guatemala Civil War. Her story is really touching (although there has been some controversy surrounding its authenticity).

I really enjoy your posts on Guatemala...keep 'em coming!