The indigenous Indian peoples have preserved much of their cultural heritage down to the present day yet the fateful events of recent decades have noticeably taken their toll on the Maya way of life. What has survived, however, is the brilliantly hued apparel worn by the Maya women encountered today mainly on the high plateau country. The Zurich Vlkerkundemuseum owns over three hundred Maya textiles dating from a period encompassing more than one hundred and twenty years. These fabrics reflect variations in dress from village to village as well as changes that have taken place over time. The Vlkerkundemuseum is exhibiting a selection of one hundred and eighty objects to the public from 7 April 2006 until 28 January 2007. This publication represents a comprehensive survey of traditional Maya dress and the techniques used in creating their textiles. However, the realities of Indian life in Guatemala over the past half century molded as it has been by poverty, war and the daily fight for survival h