ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Place Made

Date Collected

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Measurements

Item Classes

Condition

Accession Number

Iconographic Meaning

The eight-pointed star is a pre-conquest icon associated with the Chuquibamba, a culture located in the south west sector of the Inca Empire called Condesuyo.

Specific Techniques

Woven in warp-faced double cloth.

Narrative

Purchased by the donor in Sucre, Bolivia in 1983, in the shop of Elizabeth Rojas.

History Of Use

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. The shortness of this belt may indicate it was made for a child.

Description

Reversible woven belt (chumpi) finished on one end with braids that are joined together. The centre panel has a repeating horse motif, four eight-pointed stars, and diamonds decorated with hooks in off-white against a background of stripes in lilac, sage green, vibrant orange, greyish-blue pink, green, and red. Alternating segments of mahogany and yellow form the top and bottom border. A greyish-blue woven tie is attached to the braided end, and a woven yellow tie is attached to the other end.