My Father's Loom
In Malinalco, the art of the shawl, or rebozo, is a family legacy. Hands that safeguard a cultural heritage, weaving the future of an ancestral tradition
By Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Ernesto Falabella
Vista del paisaje de Malinalco desde el Taller Xoxopastli (2025-09-24) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Where Malinalco shawls are created
In Malinalco, State of Mexico, the Xoxopastli workshop is a sanctuary for the traditional rebozo. Here, colonial and backstrap looms transform cotton into unique garments.
Fotografía del padre de la artesana Camelia Ramos Zamora trabajando en su telar (2025-09-24) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Teacher Isaac Ramos
Isaac Ramos was the pioneer who rescued the art of the shawl in Malinalco. For decades, his hands created cotton shawls that revived ancient techniques.
Artesana Camelia Ramos Zamora y artesano José Mancio Gutiérrez trabajan juntos en sus telares (2025-09-24) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Knowledge that is passed on
Camelia Ramos Zamora learned the trade from her father as a child. Today, together with her husband José Mancio Gutiérrez, she runs the Xoxopastli workshop, where they create shawls using jaspe and rapacejo techniques.
El artesano José Mancio Gutiérrez preparando hilos en el Taller Xoxopastli de Malinalco (2025-09-24) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Passing on knowledge
Isaac Ramos also found a student in his son-in-law, José Mancio Gutiérrez, to whom he taught every secret of the backstrap and colonial loom to train a new master in the art of weaving.
Artesana Camelia Ramos Zamora y artesano José Mancio Gutiérrez trabajan juntos en sus telares (2025-09-24) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
A couple who weave in synergy
Camelia and José work as a team; he is a master of the loom and she manages the workshop. Together they create designs that merge tradition and innovation.
"When my dad passed he told me, 'My time is up, but I'm leaving you with a commitment. I'm dying happy because I learned all this as a child, but I'm leaving you with the commitment to continue with your own unique style.'" Camelia Ramos Zamora
The third generation arrives at the loom
Eduardo Isaac, Óscar and Jesús Guadarrama represent the new lifeblood of the workshop. Camelia Ramos Zamora's children, nieces and nephews learn to warp, weave and create fringes.
A workshop that is a school of life
At Xoxopastli, it's more than just textile techniques that are taught. Among cottons and natural dyes, weavers are trained with patience, precision, and respect for Mexican tradition.
El artesano Jesú Uriel trabaja en su telar en el Taller Xoxopastli en Malinalco (2025-09-24) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Shawls that tell the stories of generations
Every shawl from the Xoxopastli workshop carries a family history. Jaspe designs bear Isaac's signature, Camelia and José's innovation, and the future of their children.
Álbum fotográfico de la historia familiar de la artesana Camelia Ramos Zamora (2025-09-24) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Visual memory on every wall
Old photographs document their story: Isaac Ramos weaving, the family reunited, the first shawls. These images inspire every piece that is created today.
Un sombrero reposa sobre un telar del Taller Xoxopastli en Malinalco (2025-09-24) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
A device from an ancestor
The loom that Isaac Ramos built remains in use at the center of the workshop. Camelia Ramos Zamora and José Mancio Gutiérrez use it daily, honoring his memory and keeping his legacy alive.
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