ABSTRACT
Museum objects and their repatriation occupy an increasingly important space in the world of historical preservation and anthropological research. Textile objects are among the most difficult of museum objects to store, preserve and repatriate due to their fragile nature. Clothing plays an important, unrecognized and often gendered role in the preservation, development and evolution of cultural and social identities. This chapter, based on a case study of Q'eqchi’ Maya textiles, examines the ways in which digital or photographic repatriation of textile objects can play an important role in the development of local heritage and the preservation of cultural traditions. It considers the role that museums can play in the decolonization of objects through outreach to source communities, and posits a framework for thinking about the value of digital repatriation by engaging with weavers and providing them with a link to historic textiles that helps them to revive stylistic choices, patterns and designs that were lost before or during Guatemala’s 36-year-long civil war. It aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion around the evolving role of museums in a post-colonial world.
