The Serape and Rebozo
Location: Mexico
Description:
This book is a collection of "carefully selected contemporary Mexican folk costumes which are genuine, regional developments, untouched by the influence of stage, screen, and tourist trade." This plate, a color lithograph, illustrates the quintessential pieces of Mexican costume for men and women: the serape and the rebozo. The figures in these images are Mexican type and represent an artist's equivalent of the dressmaker's mannequin. The serape is a garment traditionally worn by men; it is usually woven of pure wool or wool mixed with cotton on a foot loom. Its roots can be traced back to the native wrap-like tilmas as well as shawls from Spain from prior to the eighteenth century. The rebozo is a large shawl, worn by women, of similar Euro-American origin. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, these shawls were made of silk, and later they were made of cotton, probably to bring down the price. The traditional colors for the serape are blue, purple, black or dark green. There are a variety of ways to wear both garments; the serape is generally worn over the shoulders, and the rebozo either on the head or across the shoulders. Naturally, the garment itself varies in material and complexity based on the region and occasion.
Book Title: Mexican Costume
Plate Number: 1
Call Number: GT625 .M4