Laanií: fiesta

$ 19,500.00

Size: 130x200cm; 4.2x6.5ft

Materials ans methods: criollo sheep wool hand dyed with colorfast aniline dyes using an exhaustive method. Handwoven on a Zapotec style loom of the 16th century adapted from European styles. Woven using a 7 threads per inch reed.

Master Weaver: Santiago Mendez Martínez

Design, patterns and symbols.

My uncle Santiago decided to take some time with his weaving and experiment with a combination of shapes and colors that resulted in this color fest, all gatherins and celebrations were cancelled in our village so we decided to take the party in our looms.

Laanií, is a word that comes from the root word Laá which is used for name, birthday and to affirm the positive as in laa ka. Laa is also used to build other words such as laaba'a, root. Nií in this case denotes that as in Ni naa, that what is. Nií is also used for sour and to build the world Niísh that could translate as delicious. Laanií therefore is the celebration of the dates and names according to the ancient calendars in which deities and people were celebrated and named in the day on which they were born according to the calendar. Combining the solar and the moon calendar the sets of names would not repeat until 52 years when there would be a new beginning in the rituals.

Our village of Xiguie'a (Teotitlan del Valle) is renowned for its elaborate and festive celebrations be it for the patron Saint of our Village, a wedding, day of the dead or many of the marked calendar rituals.