Bianca Barbosa Chizzolini

BIANCA CHIZZOLINI, then a graduate student at University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, was approved funding to aid research on “Deep Weft: Hand-Made Textile Making in Oaxaca,” supervised by Dr. Fernanda Arêas Peixoto. This research explored the role of hand-embroidered servilletas in shaping everyday life and festive practices in Oaxaca de Juárez, San Antonino Castillo Velasco, and Ocotlán de Morelos, Mexico. Through ethnographic fieldwork with two families of women artisans, the investigation examined how servilletas circulate between domestic and public spaces, serving as markers of labor, care, creativity, and identity. Observations in markets, homes, and local celebrations revealed that these handcrafted objects are integral to food presentation, gift-giving, and rituals of kinship. They are used to decorate food stalls, wrap offerings, and enhance community gatherings, embedding ethical and aesthetic values into daily acts of serving and sharing. The study also found that the aestheticization of collective life involves both women and men, with gendered tasks of ornamentation emerging during communal events. Beyond their decorative function, servilletas support local economies, express artistic identity, and act as political symbols of cultural resilience. By following the life of these objects, the research illuminated the complex intersections of craft, economy, emotion, and resistance in Oaxacan communities, contributing to a broader understanding of how material culture sustains social life and collective belonging in historically contested territories.