A DESIGN ANALYSIS OF QUECHQUEMITL FROM THE CORDRY COLLECTION (COSTUME, WEAVING, MEXICAN). Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Evans, Elouise Adele. Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 28/09/2021 01:35:22 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/275304 INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. 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Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 1325566 Evans, Elouise Adele A DESIGN ANALYSIS OF QUECHQUEMITL FROM THE CORDRY COLLECTION The University of Arizona M.S. 1985 University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 PLEASE NOTE: in all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark -/ . 1. Glossy photographs or pages ^ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print 3. Photographs with dark background.j/_ 4. Illustrations are poor copy 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of page 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages 8. Print exceeds margin requirements 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print 11. Page(s) lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s) seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages 15. Dissertation contains pages with print at a slant, filmed as received 16. Other University Microfilms International A DESIGN ANALYSIS OF QUECHQDEMITL FROM THE CORDRY COLLECTION by Elouise Adele Evans A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHDOL OF FAMILY AND CONSUMER RESOURCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 8 5 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of re­ quirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without spe­ cial permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation frcm or repro­ duction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate college when in his or her judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shewn below: NAOMI A. REICH / Oats' Professor of Clothing and Textiles PREFACE This study is a comparative design analysis of quechguemitl contained in the Cordry collection, an important collection of Mexican Indian costume. Collections such as the Cordrys' are valuable sources of information about items of material culture which might otherwise be lost to textile scholars, anthropologists, historians, costume designers and others. One third of this collection is contained at the Arizona State Museum; other items are at the Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico and at the Museum at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The collection includes the ccnponents of Mexican Indian costumes — huipiles, quechguemitl, bags, belts, skirts, trousers, carrying and head cloths, etc. Two of the most important textile apparel items are the huipil and the quechquemitl. The guechquemitl was chosen for this study for several reasons. 1) There are many fewer quechquemitl in the Cordry collec­ tion; even as they were collecting, this form of dress was being abandoned. 2) The huipil, on the other hand, is still widely encountered both as an item of costume (especially in the state of Oaxaca) and as a ccmnercial camodity. 3) Excellent textile craftmanship—both in weaving and in ornamentation—has been done in the manufacture of the quechquemitl. in iv 4) Except for the Cordrys' excellent study/ Mexican Indian Costume, not much has been written in English about this important garment. Although the costumes of Mexican Indian groups are numerous and diverse, constituting an important addition to the historical and anthropological record of Meso-American textiles, they are not as widely known or appreciated as Peruvian and Guatemalan textiles. According to Donald and Dorothy Cordry, Mexican costume is "bolder, more indigenous, and of greater variety" than Guatemalan costume ( 1968, p. 9 ) . It is important, therefore, to produce further study of these costumes, especially because of the proximity of Mexico and its influence on our cwn Southwestern culture. In addi­ tion, designers have historically adapted design fran ancient and primitive cultures; the colorful quechquanitl of indigenous Mexico, with their imaginative use of color and motif and their intricate and technically excellent weaving and handwork, will serve as further inspiration to designers in the textile fields — both in apparel and interior design. Resource Materials and Procedures The definitive work an indigenous Mexican dress is Mexican Indian Costume, by Donald and Dorothy Cordry (1968). It serves as primary source material for this study. Other important works consulted include, "El quechquemitl y el huipil," by Irmgard Weitlaner Johnson (1953) and "Otani Loans and Quechquemitls from San Pablito, State of Puebla and fran Santa Ana Hueytlalpan, State V of Hidalgo, Mexico" (1947), by Bodil Christensen. Historical back­ ground and descriptions of specific costumes were obtained frcm many other sources, including numerous articles in Artes de Mtexico and the marvellously illustrated Traje indigena de Msxico, by Carlotta Mapelli Mozzi and Teresa Castello Yturbide {1966, 1968). Consultation with officials at the Arizona State Museum pro­ vided knowledge of the whereabouts of the Cordry collection. Letters explaining the research, short questionnaires and release forms (Appen­ dices B, C, andD) were sent to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe and to the Museum at Texas Tech. Unfortunately, the portion of the collection at the Museum of International Museum of Folk Art was not accessible, because of extensive remodeling. The collections at the Arizona State Museum and at the Museum at Texas Tech were available for examination; 28 quechquemitl frcm the Cordry collection were examined and analyzed. In addition, five guech­ quemitl from other collections were available for comparative study at the Arizona State Museum. Appendix A lists the components of the collec­ tion at the Arizona State Museum and at the Museum at Texas Tech. An instrument was develoj^ed to facilitate the analysis of the quechquemitl and the organization of the data (Appendix E). Photo­ graphs were made of each of the quechquemitl. The following categories were established for examination and analysis of the quechquemitl: provenience, date of collection, and cultural group; the method of weaving the quechquemitl and the accompanying costume conponents; and the design of the quechquemitl themselves, including weave, ornamenta­ tion, motifs, construction, finishing, and overall dimensions. ACKNCWLEDQ®NTS The author extends sincere appreciation to the members of the thesis committee; to Dianne Dittenore for being patiently "on call" and making the collection at the Arizona State Museum available; to Dr. James Goss at the Museum of Texas Tech; and especially to Dr. Nacmi Reich for her expertise and encouragement. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS viii ABSTRACT xi CHAPTER 1 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 1 Historical Background 1 Technology 7 Contemporary Vfcmen's Costume 12 The Huipil 13 Geographical Distribution of the Huipil and the Quechquemitl 15 The Quechquemitl . 17 2 DESIGN ANALYSIS 22 Design 22 Design Analysis 24 3 CONCLUSIONS 75 APPENDIX A: COMPONENTS OF COLLECTIONS STUDIED ...