Belt Item Number: 3486/127 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Long, narrow woven belt (chumpi) with thin ties, finished on one end in loop-end braids that are fastened together. A pattern of a square contained in a diamond is repeated across the belt in off-white against a background of three solid horizontal stripes in light green, pink, and greyish-purple. A brown tie is attached to the braided end and a woven tie in red and sky blue is attached to the other end.
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 with 3-span floats in alternate alignment, “intermesh” variant.
Purchased by donor in an artesania shop in 1982 in Cuzco.