Piteado
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Piteado is an artisanal technique, where pita or ixtle (thread made from the fiber of maguey, Agave Americana) is embroidered onto leather in decorative patterns. The technique is used to make belts, sandals, hair bands, saddles and other leather accessories and goods. Typical designs include flowers, animals, charrería (Mexican rodeos), and Pre-Hispanic symbols. Piteado is particularly popular among the charrería (Mexican rodeo) community.
Colotlán, a city in the northern extreme of Jalisco, is famous for this type of handicraft, and is the only place where piteado is made by hand. There is a piteado industry in Guadalajara that uses automated manufacturing techniques to make piteado products as well.
Colotlán is home to approximately 40 talabarterías (leather shops) and is the main source of income for its inhabitants. Each workshop employs three types of workers, each dedicated to a specialized task: drawers, embroiderers, and “punteadores”.
The piteado industry in Colotlán produces mainly belts. About 10,000 belts are manufactured per month which are sold throughout Mexico and exported to the United States where they are purchased primarily by Latinos. A hand-embroidered belt requires about 48 hours of labor.
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