Coca Cloth

Item number Sf393 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Description

Coca cloth made of a rectangular piece of off-white cloth with three major stripe groupings, each with a line of white squares in the centre flanked by bands of red, green and yellow. Four narrow stripes of red and white alternate with the wide stripes. Narrow red and green stripes emphasize the fabric edges and are parallel to the other stripes.

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. Istallas are traditionally used by women on Taquile to carry their coca leaves. The cloth is folded or tied and carried inside clothes or other cloths. Today, it is only the older generations and the wives of elected authorities who make and use coca cloths. Plastic bags or other containers are widely used. The exchange, offering and chewing of coca leaves is an ancient Andean custom that is practiced on diverse occasions, both mundane and sacred: payments to Pachamama (the earth), weddings, during community work, socializing after work etc. Men carry and receive coca leaves in a chuspa or bag while women use a flat cloth.

Cultural Context

coca carrying

Specific Techniques

Sheep's wool and finer alpaca yarns are z spun and plied 2-s. Stripes and background are warp faced plain weave. The motif of white squares is a float weave derived from a twined 2/1 herringbone. The dyes appear to be poor quality, synthetic dyes. The complete cloth is one 4 selvedge fabric.

Narrative

Sold by Elena Quispe Flores, adopted daughter of Teresa Flores Huatta. Made and used by Teresa for carrying coca leaves and money. The cloth was particularly used during the year her husband, Ascencio Huatta Yucra, was Jilakata (one of the traditional leaders elected annually) when she had more civic and social duties. The cloth is about 15 years old, but it has been carefully stored most of the time.

Iconographic Meaning

The design of white squares is most frequently called 'Estrella del camino de los Incas', in Spanish, or 'Star of the Inca road.' One informant, Alejandro Flores, said this name arose from a confusion of 2 Quechua words: chaska (star) and chaski (runner and messenger). He says the design refers to the messengers who ran the Incan roads.