Fabric that Speaks Nahuatl
Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol weaves in Nahuatl. He names each piece in his native language, turning every jaspeado pattern into a word that can be worn.
By Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Ernesto Falabella
Retrato del artesano Cresencio Tlilayatzi junto a sus hilos en el Taller Tlilayatzi (2025-10-04) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Last names with history
Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol carries his identity in his Nahuatl last names. Tlilayatzi means black blanket (tlil+ayatl) and Xochitemol sought-after flower (xochitl+nitemohua). Authentic names that withstand the test of time and are never forgotten.
Retrato del artesano Cresencio Tlilayatzi portando una pieza hecha por él mismo (2025-10-04) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The legacy of a language
"Previously in my family everyone stated things in Nahuatl," Crescencio recalls. Ni kine kini atlis: I would like a drink of water. Ni kine kini tláhuas: I would like to eat. Yeño: I'm leaving now. Daily life flowed in the native language.
The silence of a language
Many people abandoned Nahuatl "out of shame, because they didn't want to be heard speaking like that," explains Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol. Spanish arrived alongside forced shame. Whole generations silenced their language for fear of social rejection.
Preserving identity
"I am doing everything possible to rescue some words in Nahuatl," Crescencio says. Each piece he creates is named after his native language. Weaving is a way of safeguarding culture
Retrato de una niña portando una de las piezas del artesano Cresencio Tlilayatzi (2025-10-04) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Words with meaning
Cuéitl is the wrap, the traditional skirt that is rolled up. It is not a generic skirt: it is a cuéitl, a specific word for a specific garment. Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol keeps his Nahuatl name because each word contains centuries of knowledge.
Retrato del artesano Cresencio Tlilayatzi con uno de sus jaspeados puestos (2025-10-04) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Quexquémitl
A quexquémitl is a cape with an opening for the neck. Quex means neck in Nahuatl. The name describes the function, the form, the tradition. Crescencio doesn't call it a cape: he calls it a quexquémitl. Language is what defines the object.
Pieza del artesano Cresencio Tlilayatzi siendo modelada (2025-10-04) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Names that don't change
A huipil is a huipil, not a blouse. A payo is a payo (rebozo in Nahuatl), not a shawl. For Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol, original names are not interchangeable. Changing them would mean losing their essence.
Pieza azul tejida por el artesano Cresencio Tlilayatzi expuesta en el Taller Tlilayatzi (2025-10-04) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The Nahuatl language is conveyed in every piece
Each piece he sells carries its Nahuatl name out to the world. Someone in another city, another country, says quexquémitl without knowing it. Language travels through clothes
Retrato de la maestra y artista Eugenia León portando una pieza del artesano Cresencio Tlilayatzi (2025-10-04) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Nahuatl on the stage
Crescencio designed pieces for the singer Eugenia León and the writer Laura Esquivel. When Eugenia used his huipil in the artwork for Puño de Tierra 2008, Nahuatl was seen on album covers. When Laura wore his creations, the language traveled on her.
Hilos amarillo y negro en el telar del artesano Cresencio Tlilayatzi en el Taller Tlilayatzi (2025-10-04) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
A visual language
For Crescencio Tlilayatzi Xochitemol, each jaspeado pattern is a Nahuatl word that can be worn. A rebozo therefore becomes a visual language, a way for his mother tongue to travel the world without being spoken.
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