There are only a handful of rebozo weavers left who use the ancient backstrap loom called a telar de cintura or telar de otate. Since they can only make one rebozo at a time, the work is costly and time consuming. But, it allows for originality in patterns and your rebozo is always one-of-a-kind when woven this way. Don Isaac Ramos Padilla and his daughter Sra. Camelia Ramos Zamora exhibited their work at Feria Maestros del Arte 2005. They use ancient designs and weave only on a pre-Hispanic backstrap loom. Their art has been transmitted through five generations.

Many of the Ramos' rebozos are done in a technique called ikat - a dying technique that allows the warp to be selectively colored before it is woven. A shrinking market and competition with industrially woven cloth has forced many weavers to stop their production of ikat rebozos as they are very time-consuming and therefore, the prices are higher than other rebozos.

The ikat process: The weaver pulls up several cotton threads of the warp, then taking thread, he/she winds the thread around the warp (about 1/4" to 1/2"). This is done over and over again in different locations of the warp until the entire warp has been "knotted" and is ready for dying.

After dying, the knots are removed, leaving undyed white areas. Several different ikat patterns are used. The location of the knots and the position of the warp on the loom determines the pattern.

The warp is then soaked in water for 20 minutes, after which, the water is wrung out. The damp warp is dyed by repeatedly submerging it in a hot dye bath for 20 minutes. Excess dye is removed by twisting a stick that has been inserted in the end of the warp.

The ikat-dyed warp is stretched out to dry. Ikat threads alternate with solid threads on the loom. The warp must be frequently adjusted to assure that the ikat - dyed threads form the correct motif as it is being woven.<

At the age of 84, Don Isaac has been weaving since he was 10 when he started to learn the trade from his family of weavers. Don Isaac rises at 5 am and works for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, to produce on average two rebozos a week. He does all the steps of the process himself - mixing the dyes, dyeing the cotton, setting up the warp with the thousands of strands, painting on the pattern, and the final weaving. He says, 'Mucho tiempo, poca ganancia' (so much time, so little profit). His rebozos garner a considerably higher price than the more standard ones found in markets around Malinalco.

But it's all done with much patience and calm, as well as a huge love and devotion to his art. He and his daughter work with many known patterns - cacahuate, arco negro or palomitas. He also invents patterns, which he says simply pop into his head. Don Isaac and Camelia have access to the wonderful antique rebozos owned by the Franz Mayer Museum and are allowed to study them for ideas. The are both very concerned about the disappearance of this highly skilled art and are doing what they can to interest and train other family members in keeping up the tradition.

One interesting comment the maestro told me, is that until quite recently the rebozo was thought of as a symbol of purity and no self-respecting woman left the house without one. And, if a young man snatched a rebozo from a young woman, then the woman considered herself to belong to that man.

A good book on the subject is "Rebozos de la Coleccion de Robert Everts", co-edited by the Franz Mayer Museum and Artes de Mexico. My thanks to Barbara Magnus for researching and compiling this story.

If you would like to see the brilliant weaving of the Ramos' family, come into Galería Maestros del Arte, Colon #13, Ajijic. If you are interested in purchasing some of Don Isaac's or Camelia's work, call Marianne Carlson at 01152 376 765 7485 or email mariannecarlson@gmail.com