Belt Item Number: 3486/108 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Belt (chumpi) that repeats the design called “loraypu” along its length; the ends are finished in braids that are fastened together.
Belts of different types are used by men, women, and children, and some have special names. Most belts are called chumpi (Quechua) or cinterone (Spanish). Some belts are associated with pregnant women and their babies, where they are used to fasten the swaddling cloths around the infant. Belts for children are usually smaller in size. In some areas, very wide belts are worn with a stiff underbelt, which acts as a back support. Belts in Andean villages are usually made on a continuous warp and the last few inches are finished by braiding. A wide variety of techniques are used to pattern the belts. The imagery woven on belts is usually drawn from a set of geometric and figurative icons that are combined in ways that are distinctive of a particular community.
Woven in a complementary warp weave; the reversible technique is called “doble cara” (double-faced) by the weavers.
The name loraypu is used for diamond-shapes in different domains: plant leaves, patterns in roof thatching or elsewhere. It is the most widely woven pattern in Chinchero.
Purchased by the donor from the maker in 1982 in the streets of Cuzco, where the maker often sold her belts.