ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Manufacturing Technique

Date Made

Maker

Place Made

Date Collected

Collector

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Source

Measurements

Item Classes

Condition

Accession Number

Cultural Context

Pregnancy

Narrative

Nancy wove this for her own use, in 1985, when she was pregnant. She bound it tightly above the baby to keep the baby's head from getting too large and making the birth difficult. She also wore it after the birth when her muscles were weak and she used it occasionally to swaddle the baby.

History Of Use

The techniques, structures and some of the motifs have pre-Conquest antecedents. This type of textile conveys the most about an individual's ethnicity, sex, age, status and particular history. Wide belts are used by women during pregnancy and after having a baby. They believed, a tightly bound belt keeps the baby from growing too large and making the birth difficult. After the birth, the belt supports weakened midriff muscles. Women's belts are also used to hold the swaddling cloths around babies, both male and female. This is the only instance where a belt of this type is used by a male. Women also wear belts on a daily basis when not pregnant.

Specific Techniques

Commercial synthetic yarns, z spun and plied 2-s are retwisted before warping. The colour stripes are warp faced plain weave and the design band is double cloth plain weave with pick-up designs. The braided ends are 3 strand oblique interlacing and the cords are z spun, s plied and z replied. The fabric is one loom piece uncut. It has three selvedges and the terminal area is braided.

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 motifs starting at the selvedge are: 'vaca' (cow); 'karachi' (species of fish); 'pichitanka' (species of bird); an altar; 'chiwako' (a bird that eats the crops); 'wasi' and 'k'olle' (house and species of tree; the thatch on the roof is ruined); 'conejo' (rabbit or guinea pig); an altar; pair of 'pichitanka' (birds); 'bandera' (a dance with flags); 'pisqo' (species of bird); 'rosa silla' (rose with thorns); 'conejo' (pair of guinea pigs); 'cinta lawar' (stepped path); 'wasi', 'k'olle' and 'wallpa' (house, tree and chicken); bowl to hold edible clay; 'chaska' (star); 'pato' (duck); 'tejeral' (scissors); 'karachi' (fish); 'wasi' 'k'olle' and 'picaflora' (house, tree and humming bird; and, 'bandera' (dance with flags for 24th of June fiesta).

Description

Long belt with lengthwise stripes in multiple colours and a central design band with white animal, fish, bird, flower and building motif,s on a dark red and green background. One end terminates in ten braids which are looped together by a separate cord and attached to another cord tie. The other end of the belt has similar cords attached to the selvedge. Two narrow white stripes on multi-colour striped bands at edges.