Serape

Serape
sketch of man wearing sarape
Wearing a serape
coloured material
An example of a serape pattern
This article is about the Mexican shawl. For the ancient Egyptian gods, see Serapis.

The serape or sarape is a long blanket-like shawl, often brightly colored and fringed at the ends, worn in Mexico, especially by men. "Serape" also can be used to refer to a very soft rectangular blanket with an opening in the middle for one's head, similar to a poncho called gabán in México. Some serapes are made with matching hoods for head covering. The length varies but front and back normally reach knee height on an average person.

Available in various colors and design patterns, the typical colors of serapes from the highland regions are two-tone combinations of black, grey, brown, or tan depending on the natural color of the sheep flocks grown in the area, with large design patterns utilizing traditional Mayan motifs. On the other hand, the traditional serape as made in the Mexican state of Coahuila in north-eastern Mexico near the city of Saltillo often consists of a dark base color with bands of yellow, orange, red, blue, green, purple or other bright colors. The ends are usually fringed.

The serape is not a typical garment for the Mayan highland people, who wear different clothing in cold regions.[citation needed] The serape is more of an imitation of the Mexican poncho with a Mayan twist, and their production is specifically for sales to foreigners or city dwellers who feel attracted to the garment. The sale of sarapes goes through a broker process, where the Mayan families, who depend mostly upon agricultural work, manufacture small quantities for additional income. The brokers display the sarapes at a higher price on local markets or the sides of highland roads in improvised huts. The brokers are typically Mayan. The appeal of the sarape may consist in the fact that these are woven by Mayan families, normally women, in their traditional house looms, giving the sarape a "handmade" look.

References

Bibliography



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Serape — Se*ra pe, n. [Sp. Amer. sarape.] A blanket or shawl worn as an outer garment by the Spanish Americans, as in Mexico. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • serape — type of shawl, 1834, from Mex.Sp. sarape, probably from Nahuatl, but exact source difficult to identify source because there is no r sound in Nahuatl …   Etymology dictionary

  • serape — ☆ serape [sə rä′pē ] n. [MexSp] a brightly colored wool blanket, used as an outer garment by men in Spanish American countries …   English World dictionary

  • serape — noun /sɛˈrɑːpeɪ/ a blanket as worn as a cloak by Spanish Americans , 1992: Could be, said John Grady. He took off his hat and lay back and pulled the serape over him. Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses …   Wiktionary

  • serape — also sarape noun Etymology: Mexican Spanish sarape Date: 1834 a colorful woolen shawl worn over the shoulders especially by Mexican men …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • serape — /seuh rah pee/, n. a blanketlike shawl or wrap, often of brightly colored wool, as worn in Latin America. Also, sarape. [1825 35, Amer.; < MexSp sarape] * * * …   Universalium

  • SERAPE — Simulator Equipment Requirements for Accelerating Procedural Evolution ( > IEEE Standard Dictionary ) …   Acronyms

  • SERAPE — Simulator Equipment Requirements for Accelerating Procedural Evolution ( > IEEE Standard Dictionary ) …   Acronyms von A bis Z

  • serape — n. colored woolen shawl worn in Latin America …   English contemporary dictionary

  • serape —    (seh RAH peh) [Mexican Spanish] In Latin America, a blanket used as a shawl or a cape …   Dictionary of foreign words and phrases

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”