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Cultural Context

women's weaving

Narrative

Bought from weaver, Pelagia Quispe Cruz, a young married woman. Pelagia had the warps on the loom in 1982 and a few inches woven in 1983. When the loom was purchased in 1984, she had approximately half the warp woven. When completed, this cloth would have been cut in half to make 2 'square' cloths for her husband to wear during dancing.

Description

Horizontal ground loom (parts a-n) with a partially woven red textile attached to the wooden front beam by bright lashing cords (part b). The woven cloth has five pattern bands and four bands of stripes in red, white, green and yellow. The geometric patterns are of circles, diamonds, crosses and figurative patterns of birds and fish. Intertwined in the textile are numerous parts: cylindrical shaped shed roll (part m) is in position between two layers of warps and back warp beam (part n) holds the loops of the unworked warps. The shuttle stick (part c) is wound with red weft and is attached to the fabric. Heddle stick (part d) has green cord loops. Shed stick (part f) and (part k) are in position under threads in the pattern areas. Ground stakes (parts g-j) are loose as is the pick (part f) and the shed holder and beater (part e). A braided brown, black and cream alpaca rope (part a) is used to keep the loom and tools together when rolled.

Specific Techniques

Commercially spun yarns of wool and synthetic have been overtwisted in the s direction to add abrasion resistance. Weave structures are the following: 1-plain colour areas are warp faced plain weave. 2- figurative designs; complementary-warp weave with 3-span floats aligned in alternate pairs with an irregular (abbabaab) warping order (3/1 horizontal colour changes and diagonals of 2-span floats). 3- stripe with squares; float weave derived from turned 2/1 horizontal herringbone with floats forming squares.

Iconographic Meaning

The range of motifs refers to local geography and landmarks, ecology, fecundity as well as luck. The six part circle refers to the division of land into six sections on Taquile and the rotation of crops and fallow periods. The rayed diamonds with triangular terminations refers to matrimony and is a stylized representation of a dance done with flags performed at weddings.

History Of Use

Warp-faced fabrics with three or four selvedges are woven by women but the fabrics, the techniques, structures and some of the motifs have pre-Conquest antecedents. This type of textile conveys the most information about an individual's ethnicity, sex, age, status and particular history. Women weave near the house compound, particularly during July and August between harvesting and planting. They weave for themselves, their families and for sale to tourists. This width of fabric is now used for square cloths attached to the shoulders and hips for dancing.