China Poblana
As China Poblana today is called a Mexican woman in typical costumes of Mexico, but China Poblana was, strictly speaking, only the nickname of the Mexican nun Catarina de San Juan . In Mexico women in traditional clothing are called china , poblana refers to their origin from Puebla . The China Poblana is literally simply the traditional woman from Puebla.
Legend of China Poblana
Mirra, a young woman from India , was kidnapped by pirates while on a sea voyage to New Spain . However, she managed to escape and found refuge in a Jesuit monastery , where she was baptized in the name of Catarina de San Juan. However, she was kidnapped again and taken to Acapulco. There she was sold as a slave to the Poblano Miguel de Sosa. During this time, the young woman from Asia dressed in the traditional saree and thus probably influenced the style of the China Poblana. After the death of her master Miguel de Sosa, she again joined a monastery, where she had visions of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Catarina de San Juan died on January 5, 1688 at the age of 82.
Characteristics
The clothing of the China Poblana has now become a stereotype of the Mexican costume for women, although there are significant regional differences in traditional women's clothing. The clothing not only goes back to Catarina de San Juan, but also has Spanish elements from several centuries. The most important elements are:
- A white blouse that can have brightly colored floral embroidery
- The overskirt, the so-called castor
- A white petticoat that has a patterned hem
- A band that fastens the skirt around the waist
- The shawl, which was often made of a fine fabric to protect against the cold, but also often made of a stiffer fabric to carry loads on the back
Culture
Today the figure of the China Poblana is one of the few figures in Mexico that is not clearly identified with positive characteristics (such as Adelita ) or clearly with negative characteristics (such as Catrina ). On the one hand, the China Poblana was a provocation because she did not want to wear a corset and was dressed much too provocatively for the time, on the other hand the style went back to a woman who was venerated as a saint for a long time.
