Color and Tradition

Rebecca Thomas

August 15, 2014

Professor Vanderveen

Visual Ethnography

Color and Tradition

Colors have been used throughout history to express ideas ranging from aesthetic pleasantry to powerful statements of war, hope, or other concepts that are more difficult to put into words. In other cases, the colors seen in a culture are merely the resources available at the time. For example, there may be more red seen in a culture if there is a certain plant, animal, or mineral that produces that color. By extension, a resource that is more rare may result in a reduced prominence of that particular color within the culture. Speaking specifically about the Zapotec people, master weavers as well as color creators, many insights about the use of color and how it was gained can be learned by looking at the details that go into coloring thread for weaving. Not only does this apply to weaving, but also other areas such as painting pots and decorating buildings. Today, though it may not be for the same reasons, many of the same colors can be seen in modern day Mexico.

The Zapotec people began weaving roughly 1,700 years ago. Today, it is one of the many qualities the Zapotec people are known for. Over the years, however, the influence of the Spanish colonization as well as readily available contact with the outside world has greatly shaped the way that weaving is accomplished (rosengren.net). Many of the common colors in traditional Zapotec weaving are reds, browns, blues, greens, and yellows. Interestingly enough, these colors can all be created through the use of organic material that is native to the area (porfiriogutierrez.com). One of the most famous methods for making dye comes from the nopal cactus. Not for the cactus itself, but for the inhabitants of each cactus plant. Nestled securely within each sturdy nopal leaf is an insect called the cochineal. This tiny insect has great color potential for the Zapotec people. When the cochineal is crushed, it creates a vibrant red dye that can be used for dying the wool that is used in traditional Zapotec weaving. Though the bug must not be harvested until it is at least 90 days old. In addition, it must be picked by hand in order to avoid inadvertently crushing it before the desired time, each cochineal produces a significant amount of red dye for its body size (clothroads.com). This does not mean, however, that a great amount of dye is produced. Merely that the amount produced is large in proportion to its small body.

Another common source for dyes came from plants. Examples of this are flowers and herbs such as marigolds for yellows, indigofera for blues, pecan shells for browns, and sapote used for blacks. Common methods for extracting dye include boiling the plants in water along with the wool that is going to be dyed or grinding them with a traditional stone tool called a metate (zokuhandicrafts.com). These methods can be intricate, time-consuming processes that can take both time and precision. Thinking about this in terms of how the Zapotec people lived long before large, factory machinery, the idea of having to boil the wool in small quantities, crush up small insects, or hand grind a plant into a fine powder in order to then combine it with the wool by hand is a long, tiring, and expensive process. These vibrant colors, however, are easily recognized and admired for their beauty.

When the Spanish came to colonize Mexico and the Zapotec people, there was an indelible mark left upon the art of Zapotec weaving; stronger wool and stronger looms. Not only did weaving become an easier task, but also the products lasted longer. In addition, once the Spanish discovered the value of the cochineal bug, the market for them became huge when it came to exporting them back to Spain. Looking back, this moment in history helps lend the art of weaving to more of a commercial entity than one of personal use. Because the wool was stronger than the cactus or other plant fibers used before the presence of the Spanish, larger, more impressive items could be made (rosengren.net). In addition, with stronger wool and looms, it made more sense to, after making a rug for oneself, make one for a neighbor and perhaps charge a small fee. The added desire for the cochineal insect and its impressive color producing abilities also drew attention to the Zapotec people and their weaving industry.

Today in modern Mexico, woven blankets, clothing, and other items such as table clothes are abundant. Interestingly enough, the audience targeted with these items are not the locals, but tourists. Along with the changing market, the method of coloring the wool has also changed. The first, less dramatic way, is that the science of color making is constantly being refined and perfected through the understanding of basic chemistry. In other words, it was discovered that controlling the pH of the natural dye could change the tints, tones, and shades of any hue. In order to do this, baking soda or lemon juice is added to the dye. By adding these pH changers, the vibrant color red can be reduced to an orange or yellow depending on the desired effect. By extension, adding an ingredient that is more basic will allow for the more vibrant colors to return (carolynkallenborn.com). This technique has created many new color possibilities for the weaving world. This means that there are more colors available to appeal to a larger market.

The other direction that weaving took was the use of synthetic dyes instead of all natural, organic dyes. These were cheaper and easier to come by because they essentially mimicked the dying capabilities of food coloring. Interestingly enough, the cochineal bug mentioned earlier that, when crushed, produces a bright red dye, also produces a chemical that is the predecessor to food coloring. By producing the chemical synthetically, workers did not have to find the nopal plant and search its leaves for the tiny cochineal bug to harvest by hand with great care not to crush them on the spot. This saved time, energy, and money. After a number of years, however, there was a movement to begin using the natural, organic dyes again for a couple of reasons. The first was that there was a health concern with the synthetic dye. The other concern is that a woven piece made from synthetic dye is not as high of a quality as one made from organic dyes (Wikipedia.org). This means that a rug made from the natural dye of the cochineal bug is actually more valuable than one made of the synthetic equivalent. In other words, demand for authentic, Zapotec woven goods began to emerge again.

Today, the Zapotec culture and economy rely heavily on tourism. With many archaeological sites in Mexico, specifically Oaxaca, there is a great deal of activity to attract people to see the ancient ruins of Monte Albán or the large 2,000-year-old Tule tree. Along with the experience of seeing the sights, it is also common for people to want to take souvenirs with them when they return home. Interestingly enough, woven goods today, much like hundreds of years ago, possess patterns that resemble some of the archaeological sites. In addition, there are advertisements for some modern weaving establishments that emphasize their use of all natural, organic dyes instead of the cheaper, synthetic dyes.

Though these facts may seem unrelated, they both help shed light on the story of weaving and color in the Zapotec weaving community. It is a story that began almost 2,000 years ago using more difficult, tedious methods of creating woven goods. Beginning with harvesting the ingredients needed to create the desired color along with the cotton or cactus fiber that would become the finished, woven product. Next, the harvested ingredients would have to be prepared, which as stated earlier, could have taken up to 90 days just for the cochineal bug to be ready (which is only one color in a piece that could potentially have multiple colors). After the piece is complete, which would take a while on the slower version of the loom; it may not last very long due to the weak material. Next, with the influence of the Spanish, the gears of production began to turn as the stronger wool and better quality loom helped the Zapotec people create woven goods more efficiently. The method of obtaining dye, however, was relatively unchanged. There still remained a painfully slow process of obtaining and preparing the ingredients. Lastly, with the rise of tourism, technology, and demand for woven goods from the Zapotec, the rise and now slight fall of synthetic dyes has been witnessed.

Throughout this entire story, there has been a trait of the woven goods of the Zapotec that has remained relatively constant; color. From the beginning, the Zapotec were using natural products around them in order to create color and that still continues today. In fact, there is a push from the public to preserve the way of using natural dye products such as plants and the cochineal bug. This is evidence that in Oaxaca today, there is a tradition that has been carried down almost 2,000 years through Zapotec heritage.

Nopal plant (Taken outside of Cholula, Mexico July 13, 2014)

Cochineal bugs (middle of the palm) from the nopal plant (Taken by Jay Vanderveen outside of Oaxaca, Mexico, July 31, 2014)

 

This is the cochineal bug’s red color after being crushed. The variation in the red colors is due to different pH levels of the skin of different people (Taken by Jay Vanderveen outside of Oaxaca, Mexico, July 31, 2014)

Wool dyed by natural, organic dyes create a wide range of colors (Taken by Jay Vanderveen outside of Oaxaca, Mexico, July 31, 2014)

Traditional, tejido weaving, a style of weaving well known in Oaxaca, Mexico (Taken by Ai Wan Choong in Oacaca, Mexico, July 31, 2014)

Pieces of woven cloth made in the tejido style weaving (Taken by Ai Wan Choong in Oaxaca, Mexico July 31, 2014)

This is a more advanced, two pedaled loom where products are faster and easier to make (Taken by Jay Vanderveen outside of Oaxaca, Mexico, July 31, 2014)

As depicted in Diego Rivera’s mural, woven clothing was a major part of Native American culture before the invasion of the Spanish (Taken by Sydney Lute-Ardnt in Mexico City, Mexico August 10, 2014)

This is an example of woven clothing worn by Native Americans. Note the use of many reds, a common color for the time (Taken by Sydney Lute-Ardnt in Mexico City, Mexico at the Museum of Anthropology August 10, 2014)

The men (right) are wearing woven products as part of their Native American tradition (Taken outside of Oaxaca, Mexico (Guelaguetza 2014) July 21, 2014)

Woven goods are a staple of the Oaxacan economy today as shown in this stall of a street market (Taken by Sydney Lute-Arndt in Mexico City, Mexico August 10, 2014)

Today, the popular weaving style has been adapted to modern products such as these backpacks (Taken by Sydney Lute-Ardnt in Mexico City, Mexico August 10, 2014)

References

"Cochineal: The Royal Red of Natural Dyes - ClothRoads." ClothRoads. N.p., n.d. Web.            13 Aug. 2014.

"Cochineal." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 Aug. 2014.

"Intriguing Tradition: Organic Color Dyes by The Zapotecs." Zoku Handicrafts. N.p.,       n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2014.

"Natural Dyeing and Weaving Workshop." Carolynkallenborn.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13       Aug. 2014.

"Porfirio Gutiérrez Y Familia - The Process: Natural Dyes." Porfirio Gutiérrez Y Familia    - The Process: Natural Dyes. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2014.

"Zapotec Weavers in Teotitlan Del Valle, Oaxaca - Artisans in Focus - Weaving         History." Zapotec Weavers in Teotitlan Del Valle, Oaxaca - Artisans in Focus - Weaving History. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2014.