The Guatemalan huipil, pronounced "wee-peel,", is a garment woven and worn by Mayan women from Chiapas in Mexico through the highlands of Guatemala.  A huipil is a loose-fitting tunic with openings for the head and arms.  Mayan huipils are generally made from one to three rectangular pieces of fabric woven on a backstrap loom. The complex weaving patterns are specific to a particular village while many of the designs can be traced back to ancient Mayan times.  It can take up to six months to complete the fabric for a huipil.

This huipil is from Chajul, where the Ixil language is spoken. The four snub-beaked birds across the front and back are typical for this village, as is the variety of geometric patterns at the neckline, across the shoulders and trimming the “sleeves.”  Similar geometric patterns are woven into the bodies of the birds.  This huipil has a particularly harmonious composition, balancing shape, color, and pattern.