Saltillo Sarape

c. 1840–60

Saltillo Sarape, c. 1840–60. Mexico, Coahuila state, Saltillo Region. Wool, cotton; tapestry weave, macramé fringe; overall: 200.7 x 106.7 cm (79 x 42 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade 1921.568 The sarape (wearing blanket) is a classic Mexican men’s garment that became a symbol of national identity and pride after Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821. Examples woven between about 1750 and 1875 in Saltillo, a town in northern Mexico, are the sarape’s most famous representatives, prized for their design, color, and technical refinement. Saltillo sarapes (wearing blankets) are prized for their design, color, and technical refinement.