Man's sash (Faja) 1930 - 1940

This man’s sash, or Faja, was woven by the Maya people out of cotton, and I think of the process of it being made, all those horizontal lines that build up the image, thread by thread. It’s almost entirely red, a warm, earthy red with sections of purple geometric designs near each end, which punctuate the overall redness like musical interludes. The texture is soft, pliable, touchable. The weave isn't too dense, it looks like you could see light through it, but the colour is rich and even. Look at the edge, where the purple section meets the main red area. See how the purple shapes create a rhythm that almost dances? It's like a conversation between the maker and the material. Thinking about how the Maya made this, what kind of loom, what kind of dye, makes me think of Sheila Hicks, who also worked with the language of weaving, but on a huge scale. Both artists are speaking through colour, texture, and form, but ultimately, they leave the final meaning up to us.