Elaborar ayates. El trabajo artesanal hñähñu del hilado y tejido en el Valle del Mezquital, México
The Making of Ayates. Hñähñu Handcraft Traditions of Spinning and Weaving in the Mezquital Valley, Mexico

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents a description of the making of ayates, textile pieces woven with ixtle or maguey fibers in the hñähñu indigenous communities of Valle del Mezquital in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. The ethnographic approach is based on observations and informal conversations, and comprises the components of the tools (winch, warper, and backstrap loom) as well as the spinning techniques with a thet’i or manual winch and the weaving process of ixtle fibers on the ya’be ga ñhu’ti or backstrap loom. Based on the knowledge of local socioecological conditions, it presents the handcraft traditions of the hñet’í or spinners and the met’e or weavers of this region. The research contributes to the understanding of the local textile handcraft , which has been scarcely studied so far, even though the techniques and designs used in this region are among the most varied in Mesoamerica.

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