Unidentified artist
Saltillo Sarape (Sarape de Saltillo)1750-1800

Not on view

Vertical flat-woven textile in deep crimson red with allover fine zigzag striping and a large concentric diamond medallion at center

Flatwoven textile with a large central diamond medallion composed of concentric stepped lozenges in deep red, navy, and ivory, surrounded by an all-over field of small zigzag and diamond motifs in red, blue, and white.

Woven textile with a large central diamond medallion formed by concentric zigzag bands in deep red, navy blue, and ivory, with finely detailed geometric borders along the edges.

Flat-woven textile with deep red ground, featuring a diagonal band of densely patterned diamond and hooked motifs in navy, cream, and blue, bordered by zigzag stripes in the lower left field.

Woven textile with deep red ground, featuring bold zigzag bands in dark navy, ivory, and teal, flanked by repeating diamond and hourglass geometric motifs in a densely patterned border.

Artist or Maker: Unidentified artist
Title: Saltillo Sarape (Sarape de Saltillo)
Place Made: Northern Mexico
Date Made: 1750-1800
Medium: Cotton and wool tapestry weave
Dimensions: 97 1/8 × 48 1/2 × 1 1/8 in. (246.7 × 123.19 × 2.86 cm)
Credit Line: Ancient Americas Acquisition Fund
Accession Number: M.2021.5
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Costume and Textiles
Curatorial Notes: The pulsating patterns and distinctive composition of Saltillo sarapes reflect a uniquely Mexican identity that combines textile traditions from Mesoamerica and Spain. These luxury textiles are closely associated with the wealthy horsemen of Northern Mexico’s sprawling network of haciendas that developed in the viceregal period. Named after the city of Saltillo, a prestigious weaving and trade center in the state of Coahuila, sarapes were worn by all social classes, differentiated by the fineness of the yarns and complexity of the woven patterns, with the Saltillo sarape representing the grandest and most sophisticated style of all. The extremely fine workmanship of this example is consistent with the oldest and rarest extant examples, which date to the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

From exhibition Archive of the World, 2022 (for more information see the catalogue entry by Clarissa M. Esguerra in the accompanying publication, cat. no. 46, pp. 211–14)
Provenance: Private collection, Providence; James Jeter, New World Arts Collection, Santa Barbara, California, 1976; Mark Winter, Pagosa Springs, Colorado, and Jim Collins, Woody Creek, Colorado, 1981; George Shaw, Aspen; Atlantic Art Partners I LLC, New York, 1986; LACMA, 2021.
Selected Bibliography: Katzew, Ilona, ed. Archive of the World: Art and Imagination in Spanish America, 1500–1800: Highlights from LACMA’s Collection. Exh. Cat. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; New York: DelMonico Books/D.A.P., 2022.

Monday	11 am–6 pm
Tuesday	11 am–6 pm
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	11 am–6 pm
Friday	11 am–8 pm
Saturday	10 am–7 pm
Sunday	10 am–7 pm