Most Oaxacan merchants and producers of goods, including craftspeople, seem to transact business differently than Americans and Canadians; except of course those who have had significant exposure to Western modes of marketing. The rug weavers of Teotitlán del Valle are no exception. Stock rotation and “clearance” do not appear to be normative, at least judging from this writer’s 20 years of experience dealing with Teotitlán del Valle producers of hand-woven, all wool tapetes dyed with natural substances such as cochinilla, pomegranate, pecan, and añil or indigo.
This should not necessarily imply that these skilled rug weavers are not astute businesspeople. On the contrary, Teotitlán del Valle is arguably the wealthiest craft town in the central valleys of Oaxaca. Rug makers boast a product that serves as both floor covering and wall hanging, is 100% wool, in most cases naturally dyed, and doesn’t crack or break during transport whether by tourists toting luggage or by commercial carriers.
Recent History of Rug Production in Teotitlán del Valle
While the history of the production of tapetes in Teotitlán del Valle has its genesis in 1535, when Dominicans first introduced to villagers the concept of the stationary pine loom, and sheep, it was not until the post - WW II years, specifically approaching the 1960s, that the modern era of rug production began, and quickly took off. The 1960s ushered in:
- Charters and jet air travel to Mexico from the US and Canada
- The hippie movement with throngs of youths heading to Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca, to meet María Sabina and an alternate level of consciousness through magic mushroom ingestion
- The women’s movement, signifying more two-income families, and with each family a flush, new, joint bank account meaning more disposable income for traveling
- And of course CHARGEX cards, which were mailed to anyone and everyone, making vacationing, and buying, that much easier
Rug production in Teotitlán del Valle at the outset of this new age of consumerism began slowly, with weavers of tapetes continuing with their tradition of hand carding, spinning, and dying wool, then transforming skeins of colorful yarn into tapetes and tapestries. Rug designs, while representing Zapotec imagery, were basic; colors, while natural, were restricted in number and tone; and the weave, while of quality, was not nearly as tight as one would encounter some 50 years later.
Modern Rug Production in Teotitlán del Valle
By the year 2000, rugs and wall hangings in Teotitlán del Valle had undergone a dramatic metamorphosis:
- Weaves from six to 16 threads per inch and sometimes more, and tighter
- Tones to match the tastes of sophisticated North Americans and Europeans
- Intricacy of design previously unmatched, yet still representative of indigenous symbols including those of the mosaics incorporated into the Zapotec ruin at Mitla
Bargain – Hunting for Tapetes in Teotitlán del Valle
There are family workshops in Teotitlán del Valle which still have a number of rugs from the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s, brand new and in perfect condition, yet hidden away from view. They’re either in a pile off in a corner, or in a storage room. In most cases for the asking they’re available for sale. The tapetes might be exactly what a visitor to Oaxaca is seeking – simplicity of design, fewer colors, and for some the most important characteristic, potentially priced to sell. And for others, perhaps the textile aficionado, the social anthropologist, the Mexican craft collector, or the historian who chronicles through material culture, they represent an opportunity to acquire and appreciate one’s passion.
Rocio Mendoza, daughter-in-law of Porfirio Santiago of Casa Santiago rug workshop on the main street of Teotitlán del Valle, was kind enough to gather up a few vintage rugs for cataloguing. Five are pictured here, each with its approximate year of weaving noted.
There’s no guarantee that the prices asked today for those rugs dating decades will accord with the North American perception of what should happen to prices of stock still on hand, since there’s that difference in worldview: “it must be worth more now because of how long I’ve had to keep it, and what rugs are now worth.” It’s up to the skilled student of culture to find the formula for successful negotiation with the perspicacious rug weavers of Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca.
Alvin Starkman - Alvin Starkman runs Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. He is a paid contributing writer for Mexico Today (http://www.mexicotoday.org).
