Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to see the object assigned to me, though within the following week that will occur. Until then I base the following from the story attached to the shawl as well as other information provided to me.
The item in question is a Mexican shawl, purchased in Mexico in 1955. Its dimensions measure approximately 4 x 1.5 feet. The shawl itself is cotton and is black and white. At this time the pattern and design of the colors (if present or recognizable) is unknown but based on images of traditional Mexican shawls it probably has a distinctive pattern with fringe strings on the ends. It would drape over the shoulders coming together in the front either loose or tied. From the story provided it seems likely to be well-worn with possible thinning in some locations, perhaps from natural deterioration (given the material and its age) or from repeated use. Whether the shawl is hand woven or machine made is unknown, however I hedge the former given when and where it was bought. Based on an internet search, traditional clothing remains largely handmade, especially before the 1980s. From the dimensions, this item would considered be a rebozo. Rebozo is the Spanish word for shawl but has a multipurpose function associated with it. A rebozo can be worn over the shoulders or head, be used to carry items from the market, or be used as a baby sling. The rebozo is still used in parts of Mexico today.
While it remains unclear as to the means of production, in either case, it would seem to be relatively inexpensive to make (although this would vary if it was hand knitted, crochet, made on a loom, or machine stitched). If it was handmade, the production would include gathering the tools and materials and the hard physical labor involved in knitting or looming it. A similar pattern of material gathering and using labor to feed and monitor the machines that make it would occur on an industrial level. Given that this shawl was bought as a souvenir in 1955, I hedge that it was a handmade item and probably on a loom. In that case, most of the item's cost would come from its labor source as it takes hours of demanding labor to complete a shawl.
Based on an internet and JSTOR search, industry and manufacturing did not become a large part of Mexican economy until the later part of the 1950s, mainly between the 1960s-1980s. Today prices for a rebozo vary from very inexpensive ($20) to hundreds of dollars. However given it was bought in 1955 and by a middle-class family, it seems likely the shawl was not extremely expensive. It also seems more likely this shawl’s value to the original owner and the price paid for it is based on its homemade quality or its traditional style.
When a person takes possession of an object it is reborn. In this case, when Kate’s mother bought the shawl, it took on her personality. She used it for her specific purpose transforming both herself and the shawl into something else, something more personal. The final cost of item then becomes priceless.
Selected Sources
Salyes, E.B., “Three Mexican Craft.” American Anthropologist, New Series 57, no. 5 (Oct., 1955): 953-973.
Ramirez, Miguel D. “Mexico's Development Experience, 1950-85: Lessons and Future Prospects.” Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 28, no. 2 (Summer,1986): 39-65
“Mexican Rebozos Wonders in Weaving.” Focus On Mexico. http://www.focusonmexico.com/Mexican-Rebozos-Wonders-in-Weaving.html (accessed September 6 2010).
No comments:
Post a Comment