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[caption id="attachment_339" align="alignright" width="225"] Casta painting, De albarasado y mestiza, barsino, Miguel Cabrera, 1763, oïl on canvas, 131 cm x 103 cm. Madrid, Museo de América, Inv 00009.[/caption][caption id="attachment_342" align="alignright" width="300"] Detail of European needlework technique introduced in the 18th century, Cecilia Mundo Rincon, Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas. Image copyright Rebecca Devaney.[/caption]When the Europeans arrived to Mexico in the 16th century, textiles was a highly developed and mastered craft amongst the indigenous people. Spinning and weaving were integral parts of daily life for girls and women and in the indigenous cosmovision textiles were protected by goddesses; the Aztecs revered Xochiquetzal, who was said to be the first to spin and weave thread on a backstrap loom and the Mayas believed that the Moon Goddess Ixchel was the patron of spinning and her daughter, Ichebelyax was the patroness of embroidery.The  Pre-Hispanic textile traditions were to became infused with European influences in regards to dress, production and embellishment from the 16th century onwards. Traditional indigenous dress was modified by the Europeans to conform with their notions of propriety, most notably with the blusa for women, which would become the canvas for a symphony of embroidered embellishment. The importation of sheep and silk-worms led to the incorporation of wool and silk production to the indigenous repertoire of fabrics and yarns.[caption id="attachment_351" align="alignright" width="300"] 2. Detail of needlework samplers from In Octacatl, in Machiuyotl: Dechados de Virtud y Entereza, an exhibition of embroidery samplers that highlighted the influence of Pre-Hispanic culture and European techniques on the devel-opment of embroidery in Mexico in the 18th - 19th century. Museo Textile de Oaxaca (2015)[/caption][caption id="attachment_348" align="alignright" width="300"] Detail of embroidered rebozo worn by Purépecha women from Michoacán, Morelia. The Purépecha were supported Bishop Quiroga, a champion of indigenous customs and crafts in the 16th century. This rebozo is rendered in a Pre-Hispanic colour scheme and design, with the cross-stitch needlework introduced by Spanish missionaries. Señora Francisca Torres Hinojosa, Michoacan, Morelia. Image copyright Rebecca Devaney[/caption]Spanish styles and needlework techniques were introduced in the convent schools established by the missionaries in the 17th and 18th centuries and these were already infused with Egyptian, Persian, Slavic and Oriental influences. The Spanish Trade Routes of the 18th and 19th centuries brought further influence as magnificent silk embroidery from China was transported from the Philippines through Mexico on the way to Europe, inspiring the local craftspeople to emanate the large colourful floral motifs and fine satin-stitch technique. The Slave Trade introduced bold African design elements to the motifs, colours and patterns amongst certain coastal communities. With this fascinating melting-pot of Pre-Hispanic heritage, European, Asian, African and Middle-Eastern influences, it is no wonder that contemporary Mexican embroidered textiles often reveal a complex narrative.[caption id="attachment_349" align="alignright" width="300"] Detail of embroidered Totonaco blusa by Nicolas Xochihua Gonzalez, El Tajin, Veracruz. Image copyright Rebecca Devaney[/caption]Bordados: An Exhibition of Embroidered Textiles from Mexico showcases a collection of embroidered textiles that were purchased as part of a research trip undertaken in 2015, which aimed to investigate the cultural significance, craft and aesthetic of Mexican embroidery in the 21st century. The project involved travel to Veracruz, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Puebla, to interview Totonaco, Zapoteco, Purepecha, Otomi, Mazahua, Tzotzil and Nahua indigenous craftspeople. Many of the craftspeople had been taught by their mothers and grandmothers from the ages of five or six and the most intricate Pre-Hispanic and European designs were learned by heart and followed intuitively without patterns. Anthropologists and textile scholars consistently emphasised the importance of textiles to the identity of indigenous groups in Mexico as their traditional costumes may distinguish the origins, culture, ethnicity, age, social and marital status of a person. Eighteen exquisite embroidered textiles were purchased during the research trip and they showcase a selection of the captivatingly diverse colour, craft and styles of embroidered textiles produced in Mexico today.[caption id="attachment_350" align="alignright" width="300"] Detail of Zapoteca embroidered gala huipil, Teresa Lopez Jimenez, Juchitan, Oaxaca. Image copyright Rebecca Devaney[/caption]Each textile is accompanied by an enthralling narrative that reveals the traditions, cultural significance, and personal experiences of the craftspeople who created them. When exhibited side-by-side the textiles are enriched by the narratives and rather than invoking appreciation from a solely material aspect they serve as illustrations for the fascinating stories of heritage, colonisation, trade and cultural identity. The exhibition has been shown at the Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, the College of Fine Art and Design at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and the Mexican Embassy, Ireland (2016).References:http://www.rebeccadevaney.ie/bordados-embroidered-textiles-from-mexico/http://www.rebeccadevaney.ie/mexican-embroidery/http://www.rebeccadevaney.ie/artisans&#160;&#160;&#160;