batik textile

Palenque is the name of an ancient Mayan city-state in Mexico, where a famous tomb resides within the confines of a pyramid. This cotton wall hanging recreates the images and characters depicted on the surface of that tomb, portraying the great leader Pakal, surrounded by Mayan religious motifs. El Salvador's Rhina Rehmann designs the wall hanging, achieving the motifs using the batik method, where a wax resist is applied to the cotton fabric before submerging it in a vat of Prussian blue dye, with gold-colored accents added afterward by hand.

During the times when European explorers began arriving on the shores of ancient Latin America, Mayan cultures throughout the continent enjoyed a great prosperity of mercantile life. An ah ppolom, or "great merchant," would travel between cities in order to facilitate the transfer of goods. Accompanied by servants and warriors, an ah ppolom is depicted here in this cotton wall hanging designed by Rhina Rehmann. Featuring ivory-colored motifs against a body of Prussian blue, the patterns in the Salvadoran wall hanging are achieved using the batik method, where a wax resist is applied to the fabric before it is submerged in a vat of dye.

Discover the ancient world of the Maya through dazzling and captivating scenes captured by Rhina Rehmann in batik wall hangings. This time, the Salvadoran artisan replicates the image of an ancient priest offering a jade figure to the sun, a composition discovered in the Mayan Sun temple in Palenque, Mexico. Boasting blue and white hues, the piece exudes a magnificent aura.

Replicating the decorations on Maya funeral urns, Rhina Rehmann designs a wall hanging of admirable batik artistry. Sitting sideways, a man wearing an ornate headdress and golden accessories introduces his hands into a hole believed to connect him with the external world. The wall hanging is sewn of cotton dyed with natural indigo and is accentuated with liquid gold leaf details. Features a slit for rod insertion (not included).