"Mexican textiles have a vitality that is unsurpassed elsewhere in the Americas. The arts of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidery are practiced in hundreds of rural communities where indigenous people retain distinctive clothing styles. Their sense of design and colour is dazzling and in many cases native traditions, such as Mayan or Mixtec, are coupled with post-Colonial influences to fabulous effect.

Over twenty such pieces from the British Museum's vast collections have been photographed and explored in detail for this book. These range from a nineteenth-century rebozo, or shawl, made for a wealthy owner to everyday pieces such as hulpiles from Oaxaca. Anyone interested in textiles and design alike will find a wealth of inspiration in this book and the detailed photographs should open their eyes to unexpected nuances of pattern-making.".

"Drawing on her extensive travels in Mexico, Chloe Sayer provides a living context for these varied textiles. Techniques and clothing styles are explained and brief commentaries highlight the key features that make the designs so eye-catching and uniquely Mexican."--BOOK JACKET.