Textile Museum of Oaxaca: Free Admission Guide
Oaxaca’s ethnic and cultural richness is unmatched in Mexico, with indigenous groups including the Mixes, Mazatecs, Zapotecs, and Triquis each contributing distinct artistic traditions. This extraordinary diversity is reflected in Oaxaca’s 300 typical costumes, woven in cotton, silk, and wool. For women, the traditional dress is the huipil, a kind of sleeveless shirt that can have different lengths; below the knee for the Zapotecs, above the knee for the Mazatecs.
This dress is complemented by a tangle at the waist that, like the huipil, is placed at different heights. The outstanding thing about Oaxacan textiles is that they date back to pre-Hispanic times and there are a lot of textiles that are made on the traditional waist loom. To give it the color, natural pigments such as indigo, cochineal grana, and purple snail are still used. These textiles are extraordinarily decorated with embroidery that represents the motifs of pre-Hispanic origin and the indigenous vision.
Image by Erwin Verbruggen
This work and tradition have deserved to be exhibited to be admired by the whole world and found a place: The Textile Museum of Oaxaca (MTO). Located in the historic center of the city, an eighteenth-century house was restored in 2007 and now serves as the place where you can see these traditional looms. In this place, traditions, people, and contemporary design and art coexist.
The Purpose of the Textile Museum of Oaxaca
The mission of the venue is to provide a vision of the designs and techniques, as well as the processes of elaboration of the textiles of the region, of Mexico, and the world, through exchanges of knowledge thanks to exhibitions, workshops, and conferences.
Having textile pieces from all over the world and mainly from Oaxaca, this museum gives the world great artistic diversity.
What Does the Textile Museum of Oaxaca Offer?
The Textile Museum of Oaxaca offers an exhibition of around 7,000 pieces, which have been distributed in nine permanent private collections. The oldest textiles that can be admired in one of the collections date from the nineteenth century, among which pieces such as the tlamachtentli stand out, which is a fragment of huipil made with feathered thread.
An Extensive List of Collections
Among the collections that can be found in the museum we can mention:
- Collection de Alejandro Avila
- Collection de Ernesto Cervantes
- Collection de Humberto Arellano Garza
- Collection Octavia Schoendube de Boehm
- Collection Madeline Humm de Mollet
- Collection Paul Poudade
Events Held at the Museum
The museum offers a Mesoamerican Textiles Meeting, in which textile manufacturers are promoted and an artist is commemorated by offering an exhibition of his collection. Four editions of this event have been held, dedicated to:
- Irmgard Weitlaner Johnson
- Justina Oviedo Rangel
- Ernesto Cervantes
- Francisco Toledo
Temporary Exhibition Rooms
The museum has 5 temporary exhibition rooms:
- Grana Room
- Indigo Room
- Coyuchi Room
- Caracol Room
Spaces for Creativity and Art
In addition, it has other spaces ready to awaken the creativity of any person such as:
- Juan de Cordova Library
- Shop
- A children’s space
- Ramps for people with disabilities
Visitor Information
Address: Hidalgo Avenue 917. Historic Center Oaxaca de Juarez.
- Visiting hours are Monday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Admission is free.
The museum as part of its support for artists has an online store through which you can purchase unique pieces. With the purchase of these, the communities and cooperatives of the artists are supported. Visit museotextildeoaxaca.org/tienda.
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