The Zapotecs are an indigenous people of Mexico, concentrated mainly outside of Oaxaca. Present population is approximately 800,000 persons. In pre-Columbian times, the Zapotec civilization was one of the highly developed cultures of Mesoamerica, and was renown as skilled weavers.
The Zapotecs have maintained their culture in the face of Spanish colonization, largely through weaving. Many patterns incorporate sacred symbols, some taken from the ruins of their monuments at Monte Albán and Mixtec. The diamond represents the eye of God. Interlocking patterns stand for the inseparability of life and death. The arrow represents the sacred corn plant.
Rabana works with a group who coordinate weaving families in the production of rugs, pillows and table runners, with a focus on fair trade and the perpetuation of Zapotec culture.
