Zapotec Textiles

Rugs & Runners

Oaxaca, México

Wool rugs and cotton runners are from Oaxaca, Mexico where weaving by the Zapotec people dates to pre-Hispanic times.  Until the arrival of the Spaniards, weavings were made of cotton. When the Spaniards came to southern Mexico, the weaving process was revolutionized with the introduction of sheep for wool, the spinning wheel and the treadle loom. Weavings today are made from wool, cotton and silk with rugs being the most well-known and sought after worldwide. 

In general, natural colors made from locally sourced raw materials are used for dying threads. Dyes are made from plant and animal sources such as marigolds for yellow and orange, lichen for greens, pecan shells for brown, mesquite and huizache for black, cohineal insects for reds and purples, and indigo for blues.   Cochineal (red dye) is considered the most important and valuable coloring agent that is used for tones of reds, purples, and oranges. This dye was highly valued and expensive in colonial times and remains so today.

Textile quality varies widely. The complexity of the design, the integrity of the natural dyes and the tightness of the weave determine the price. Straight edges and a tight weave ensure that wool rugs will keep their shape over time. The same standards are used to make cotton table runners which are woven on a backstrap loom, using the same weaving processes as their ancestors once employed.

Most textiles of quality originate in one of three villages in Oaxaca where the weaving tradition spans more than 1000 years.