Knowledge of excellence, the artisans and the rebozodeSanta Maríadel Río, Mexico.

The rebozo is a traditional clothe similar to shawls; it implies knotting, tinctured, waving of threads and ending subprocess. Its use is quite popular within all the women in Mexico. Traditional techniques, materials and knowledge of rebozo differ throughout the country, as well as its costs. The artisans from Santa Maria del Rio have one of the most renown rebozo techniques at Mexico, where there are not only rebozo workers, but an amplitude of arts and crafts. This research aims to show how social and economic conditions have affected profoundly the knowledge of rebozo process. Through historical documentation, observation and interviews a community of artisans shows a strong technical knowledge of the preparation of the threads, dyed, knotting, weaving and ending of the rebozo. Artisans were asked about their knowledge by vernacular naming of tools and subparts of the processes of ancestral techniques. Two parts of the process: the tinctured and the ending (empuntado), were especially rich in content; however, it was revealed lacks at the long term knowledge of the handcraft of silk rebozo, paradoxically and for far, the most famous product of rebozos.