DepartmentTextiles-Hispano

Wool-on-wool Colcha Embroidery

NameEmbroidery

Artist Artist not recorded

CultureHispano

DateBefore 1860

Place madePossibly Santa Cruz, NEW MEXICO, United States, North America

MediumWool, natural dyes

Dimensions85 1/16 × 61 in. (216 × 155 cm)

Credit LineMuseum of International Folk Art, IFAF Collection, FA.1967.43.4

Object numberFA.1967.43.4

Collections

Rio Grande Textiles

DescriptionColcha stitch. Support, handspun wool, plain weave, 1 ply warps and wefts. Embroidered solidly alllover in 1 ply h.s. yarns stitched in two strands or double. Stitching, "Colcha" in all solid areas, chain stitch outlines.

The earliest examples of colcha textiles in New Mexico are handwoven sabanilla (balanced plain weave wool cloth) solidly covered with handspun wool yarn embroidery. These dense wool-on-wool colchas often featured geometric checked patterns, zigzags, or stylized florals and scrolling leaves influenced by Asian and Middle Eastern textiles.

This example depicts religious imagery associated with Santa Cruz de la Cañada Church (now Holy Cross Church), including a Maltese cross at the center and double-headed eagles similar to a symbol for the Confraternity of Our Lady of Carmel founded in Santa Cruz in 1760.