Band Item Number: 3486/98 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Band (watana) with varied patterns.
Bands are used in various ways as fasteners or adornments in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia. Watana is the name for narrow patterned bands that are used to adorn monteras (money bags), sombreros (hats), or chullu (caps), and to provide ties for closures on garments or straps on bags. Watana are also made for sale to tourists, as they are small items that can be quickly made with the left-over yarns from larger projects.
Purchased by the donor in 2003 in Chahuaytire; made by female weavers. Their watanas were worn as an adornment on a hat. They can also be worn in huge numbers for special events, such as weddings or fiestas. They can be used as chin straps or as loops that frame their faces.
Yarns are commercial and possibly dyed with natural dyes. The beads were threaded on the weft yarn before weaving, which were then positioned along the outside edges during weaving.