From time to time, I would like to highlight embroidery from different parts of the world. It’s nice to look at things from a different perspective and see what others do outside of our bubble that we live in. This time I want to take a look at Mexican embroidery. I’ve spent a lot of time in Mexico and it’s like my second home. Mexico has many different types of embroidery but I would like to focus on Otomí embroidery, also know as Tenango. Throughout the years, tenangos have gained popularity and are known worldwide.
Tenangos come from a community in Hidalgo, Mexico called Tenango de Doria.
Tenangos are characterized by a burst of colorful threads in the shape of flowers and animals. The designs are drawn onto a cloth by artists and then embroidered. They not only draw the wildlife around them, but sometimes they also draw other situations in their life such as immigration, the planting of the years corn crop, or celebrations like the Day of the Dead. They can be embroidered on various items, but they usually apply these designs to tablecloths, table runners, bed spreads, blouses, and dresses. Cotton thread in bright colors is usually employed for these embroideries and each stitch is small and tightly woven together. It’s a laborious process and a bed spread can take years to complete!
The first Tenango was made by Josefina Jose Tavera. In the 1960’s, there was a severe drought in the area and the community was devastated because they depended on agriculture for their livelihood. Josefina was a single mother with children to support. The story goes that one day she went to the market and saw a piece of cloth. She took it home and drew animals and plants on it and then embroidered it with brightly colored thread. A man came to visit the town and a saw the piece and decided to buy it. On his next trip to the village, he told her he needed more of her pieces because people in Mexico City liked it so much. The demand became so great that she taught other women in the community how to embroider.
Josefina died in 2020 at the age of 87. Her legacy lives on through her embroideries. Tenango embroidery is now considered a national heritage in Mexico and you can find it in many museums. I think her work was wonderful not only because it’s beautiful, but also because she gave a voice to the women in her community.
Throughout the years, because of the rise in popularity, many companies have started using tenango embroidery in their products without proper credit to the Otomí artists. For the Otomí people, it’s very hard to compete against big, wealthy companies. They are still fighting to have their work protected.
If you want to learn how to do this stitch, here is a video I found on YouTube:
I’m also including a link to a class on Domestika that teaches different types of Mexican embroidery. It’s in Spanish but it has English subtitles. I also love and admire Gimena Romero, who is the professor of that course: https://www.domestika.org/es/courses/2508-bordado-contemporaneo-con-puntos-tradicionales-mexicanos
Well, I hope everyone has a great week. If you have any more questions about Mexican embroidery or just Mexico in general, Hit me up!
Sources: https://www.domestika.org/es/blog/1965-tipos-de-bordado-mexicano-i-bordado-tenango
https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/patrimonio/murio-la-creadora-del-bordado-de-tenango