A Mexican Bandera Sarape

Old Saltillo Road

  This Mexican flag (bandera) sarape was woven in the Late Maximillian Period, ca: 1870-80.  Sarapes woven to duplicate the Mexican flag were woven starting in the 1860's given analysis of surviving examples.  The yarns used in this weaving are called French floss wool, which was an Industrial Revolution invention in Europe in the 1860's, machine spun, machine plied, and analine dyed.....considered "miracle yarns."  These yarns are thread like, giving the sarape a very elegant hand.

  Maximillian was installed as emperor of Mexico in 1862, while we were busy fighting the Civil War.  Justification for his insertion into Mexico as its leader was based on France's aid to Mexico to help it overthrow the Spanish dominance in the colony and the Mexican's not honoring their agreement to repay France for it's assisstance back in 1820-21.  Maximillian was a fan of the horse culture in Mexico.  Although the origins of the popularity in Mexico of wearing a sarape folded lengthwise over the shoulder as a symbol of Mexican nationalsim remains a mystery, Maximillian wore a sarape this way to ingratiate himself with the Mexican populace.  To also celebrate his French origins, he imported the new "miracle yarns" into Mexico and had sarapes woven of this yarn to wear.

  The yarns in this sarape are all the "new miracle yarns."  The is no damage, staining, or fading in this flag sarape.

$2,900.00

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