Marriage Poncho Item Number: Sf384 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Rectangular wool poncho made of two smaller, rectangular pieces sewn together in the middle. The design consists of a repeating stripe design in red, dark red, black and maroon on a brown ground. The centre has a slit opening for the neck. Around the edges is a short fringe alternate red, green, blue, white and brown in an irregular sequence.
History Of Use
Warp-faced fabric with three or four selvedges are woven by women but the fabrics are used by both sexes. 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. Wedding ponchos are made by some women for their husbands or children. Families without wedding ponchos will borrow them from the wedding padrinos or godparents. On the first day of the wedding, the poncho is worn like a shawl, folded lengthwise to show the best stripes, draped around the shoulders and hanging down in front, closed in front with a pin. Two marriage ponchos are worn at one time on the first day. On the second day, a single marriage poncho is worn. It is folded lengthwise and worn over one shoulder.
Cultural Context
wedding
Specific Techniques
Grey wool yarn is handspun z and plied 2 s. Coloured yarns are commercial wool and synthetic yarns. Z spun and plied 2 s, and are retwisted on the drop spindle before warping. Warp-faced plain weave; 2 four selvedge fabrics are sewn together with a flat figure 8 stitch on one long edge leaving a central neck slit open. A separately woven fringe band is sewn to the poncho. Fringe band is warp-faced plain weave using 2 wefts, one to make the fringe loops and the other as a ground weft.
Iconographic Meaning
The colour and stripe format is generally adhered to in all the examples seen. Informants did not attach special significance to this other than that 'the colours made you feel happy'.
Narrative
Bought from Rosa Quispe Flores in Taquile. She made this poncho when her children were young, for their use. Her sons, Andolin and Francisco, and her son-in-law, Rosendo used it when they were married. She had an older marriage poncho which she made for her husband during their period of trial marriage (sirvinakuy). The older poncho was finer with less vivid stripes.
Item History
- Made by Rosa Quispe Flores (Maker) in Taquile, Puno, Peru between 1950 and 1960
- Collected by Mary Frame during 1987
- Owned by Rosa Quispe Flores
- Owned by Mary Frame before November 3, 1987
- Received from Mary Frame (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source) on November 3, 1987
What
- Name
- Marriage Poncho
- Identification Number
- Sf384
- Type of Item
- poncho
- Material
- wool fibre, synthetic fibre and dye
- Manufacturing Technique
- spun, woven, sewn and plied
- Overall
- height 146.5 cm, width 143.6 cm
Who
- Culture
- Quechua
- Creator
- Rosa Quispe Flores (Maker)
- Field Collector
- Mary Frame
- Previous Owner
- Rosa Quispe Flores and Mary Frame
- Received from
- Mary Frame (Seller) and Museum of Anthropology Shop Volunteers (Funding source)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Taquile, Puno, Peru
When
- Creation Date
- between 1950 and 1960
- Collection Date
- during 1987
- Ownership Date
- before November 3, 1987
- Acquisition Date
- on November 3, 1987
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- good
- Accession Number
- 1274/0002