Fragment: Strap Item Number: 3263/70 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Fragment of a strap. Wider part of strap is rectangular-shaped, light brown and slim. Dark brown diamond pattern throughout rectangle. Right end of strap is missing. Left end is a light brown, thick braid with four multi-strand elements. Large tuft of brown hair(?) woven into braid, where it meets the rectangular portion. Hair(?) is most visible on the back side of the strap.

History Of Use

Strap was likely used to fasten loads to camelids.

Specific Techniques

Wider part of the strap, with the diamond pattern, worked in warp-twining.

Narrative

Collected in Peru before the 1970s by Ina VanStan, a Professor of Textiles and Clothing at the Florida State College for Women (Florida State University) from the 1940s to c. 1966. VanStan later gifted her collection to the donor. A large amount of the donation was used for teaching at the University of Alberta while others were mainly small study fragments.