The winter exhibit at the Mariposa Museum, “Treasures of Guatemala,” brings the colors of the tropics to Peterborough.

The exhibit is open through July. The Mariposa Museum is open Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for adults is $10, $8 for seniors and $6 for children.

The exhibit showcases the museum’s collection of traditional Guatemalan textiles, particularly huipiles, the multicolored, handwoven and embroidered garments which are the traditional garb of Mayan people. Former Peterborough resident Barbara Davis, who served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala and collected textiles throughout her time in the region, donated the collection.

“We’re so thankful for the generosity of this donor,” said Miriam Carter, the new director of the Mariposa Museum.

Carter, herself a textile artist, said she has deep appreciation for the handiwork of the Mayan people.

“I also love that is is craftwork by women,” she said. “The expertise and skill that goes into the creation of these garments is extraordinary.”

According to Carter, despite the exquisite handiwork, huipiles are not ceremonial items, and are worn daily by Guatemalan people.

“They will be created to celebrate a community event such as a birth, but they still are worn every day,” Carter said. “If you look closely at some of the newer ones, you will even see zippers.”

The tradition of the huipil stems from Mayan culture, which dates back 3,000 years in Guatemala and other parts of Central America.

Each huipil is created from two or more rectangles of fabric, which are hand-woven on a backstrap loom and then embroidered by hand, incorporating motifs of nature, including birds and flowers. The separate rectangles are then stitched together to create a garment.

“The backstrap loom is a very ancient weaving technique that is still used,” Carter said. “It is a mix of old and new traditions. Color is really important, and you will see repeated themes of nature.”

Colors have specific meanings in the Mayan tradition. Blue represents water or sky. White symbolizes air or hope. Yellow can be sunshine or corn, and green represents plants or the “royal quetzal,” a red and green bird native to Guatemala. In Mayan tradition, only royalty were permitted to wear the long feathers of the quetzal bird.

Some themes commonly represented in huipiles include the sun and the moon, the Mayan “lion of riches,” which is thought to bring good luck; snakes, which are the sacred guides of humans, zig-zags, representing the many volcanoes in the Guatemalan landscape; and trees, representing life. Traditional huipiles are woven from cotton or agave, and contemporary examples may contain acrylic fiber, as well. Weavers make dyes from local tropical plants and flowers.

According to Carter, the pattern of each huipil is also meaningful.

“The patterns designate what village a person comes from, which could actually be a disadvantage. In times of genocide, this could be used against people to identify where they came from, ” Carter said.

The exhibit compares similar weaving traditions from countries around the globe. One wall contrasts red huipiles with a shirt from Poland, a garment from Russia and a jacket from Hungary. Each garment is hand-woven and enhanced with embroidery.

The exhibit also includes examples of indigenous textiles from the Hmong people of Southeast Asia and compares different examples of ikat weaving, which is also employed in Guatemala.

“Ikat weaving is found all over the world, and it is quite different from the embroidery work of the huipiles. We have examples of ikat from all over the world,” Carter said.

For information about the Mariposa Museum, go to mariposamuseum.org/location-hours.