Batik Cotton Wall Hanging with Mayan Motifs from El Salvador, "Ah Ppolom Merchant"

During the times when European explorers began arriving on the shores of ancient Latin America, Mayan cultures throughout the continent enjoyed a great prosperity of mercantile life. An ah ppolom, or "great merchant," would travel between cities in order to facilitate the transfer of goods. Accompanied by servants and warriors, an ah ppolom is depicted here in this cotton wall hanging designed by Rhina Rehmann. Featuring ivory-colored motifs against a body of Prussian blue, the patterns in the Salvadoran wall hanging are achieved using the batik method, where a wax resist is applied to the fabric before it is submerged in a vat of dye.