# Man's Sarape (Wearing Blanket)

- By: Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico
- Date: 1800–50
- Medium: Cotton and wool, slit and single dovetail tapestry weave; edged with cotton, knotted fringe
- Classification: Textile
- Dimensions: Overall, with fringe: 232.4 × 111.1 cm (91 1/2 × 43 3/4 in.); Overall, without fringe: 197.5 × 111.1 cm (77 3/4 × 43 3/4 in.)
- Culture: Saltillo
- Credit line: Gift of Mrs. Tiffany Blake
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/20210)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/1269ba0f-cdcf-be9a-d52f-500b406a5c8b/full/843,/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Produced in northern Mexico using a combination of Indigenous and foreign weaving materials and techniques, the man’s wearing blanket—also known as a sarape—was a highly valued and versatile garment. Wrapped around the body like a shawl or folded and draped over one shoulder, sarapes were also used as blankets and provided protection from the weather. Made with native, undyed, hand-spun cotton and dyed churro wool from imported sheep, sarapes are soft, light, strong, and warm. With their bold designs and brilliant colors, sarapes became a symbol of Mexican identity following the Mexican Revolution.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0