The Weaver's Last Secret
A glimpse into how artisan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez keeps the legacy of his master artisan José Espirilión Zendejo alive
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A meeting in a century-old store
In 1994, Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez arrived from Monterrey as a wayward 16-year-old at a historic weaving workshop in Saltillo. There he was welcomed by José Espirilión Zendejo, a 70-year-old master weaver. "Zendejo with a Z, not a C," the weaver used to insist.
Retrato de Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez trabajando en su taller (2025-10-28) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Boiling water tests
José used boiling water, hotter than necessary, to wash the wool, hoping that the young apprentices would scarper. Many did, but Rubén endured it without complaining. The weaver began to notice that this boy was different. He knew what it meant to persist.
Tejidos en el taller de Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez en Saltillo (2025-10-28) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
A lost heritage
Master José had many children: one was a nurse, another was a lawyer. He took pride in naming them. "I don't want them to starve to death," he would reiterate when asked why none of them weaved.
Retrato de Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez en la Escuela del Sarape "La Favorita" (2025-10-28) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Gatekept secrets
For 10 years, José taught Rubén the basics, but kept his secrets to himself. He was old school: knowledge was power, survival. The masters wouldn't share everything they knew. Each technique had to be earned through years of reticent service.
Detalle de trabajo en el taller de Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez (2025-10-28) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
The last five years
When master José realized that he would die without a successor, he began to change. "Come, I want you to see this," he told Rubén. "Write this down." Secrets once closely guarded for decades then began to flow. The master had found his spiritual son.
Retrato de Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez en la Escuela del Sarape "La Favorita" (2025-10-28) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Transmitting knowledge
José ramped up his teaching. He showed him the perfect gradient, the impossible diamond, the exact tension of the loom. Everything his children rejected, he channeled into this boy who came to him by chance. Rubén absorbed every single detail like a sponge. They worked together for 14 years.
Retrato de Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez en la Escuela del Sarape "La Favorita" (2025-10-28) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
2008: The museum and the revelation
Rubén enters the Sarape and Mexican Costumes Museum (Museo del Sarape y Trajes Mexicanos) Only two weaving families remain: the Luna family and the Tamayo family. "That's when I truly understood the importance and the sense of pride," he reflects. José had passed away, but his knowledge lived on.
Favorita Sarape School
2009: The Favorita Sarape School (La Escuela del Sarape La Favorita) that José could only ever have dreamed of opens its doors. The Tamayo brothers (Héctor Gerardo and Pedro Iván) proudly serve as the first teachers alongside Javier Luna Reyes. Now they openly teach knowledge that was once kept secret.
A paradigm shift
Rubén sometimes thinks about José and what it would have meant for him to be here, to see for himself that the profession has a future. As part of that ambitious vision, they ordered 50 looms, five workbenches, and a warping frame.
Retrato de Alan Erubiel Tamayo Gloria, Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez y Héctor de Jesús Tamayo Gloria (2025-10-28) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Héctor and Alan: the new generation
Rubén's sons, Héctor and Alan, have been weaving since middle school. They earn a living. They are living proof that José was wrong. The sarape can provide a decent source of income. "For me personally, being part of a family of weavers is more of a source of pride," says Héctor.
Retrato de Juan Rubén Tamayo Sánchez en la Escuela del Sarape "La Favorita" (2025-10-28) by Mario Vázquez SosaMinistry of Culture of the Government of Mexico
Coming full circle.
"My teacher should be here," says Rubén, watching his children work. Although José Espirilión Zendejo's knowledge wasn't passed down within his own family, it now lives on through three generations of Tamayos. Sometimes true heritage transcends lineage and finds another path.
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