Belt Item Number: 3486/134 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Belt (chumpi) with a figure deisgn along length.
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 with natural dyed yarns in a 3-colour supplementary warp weave that is finished on both faces.
The design is called "sirena (mermaid) altar concha."
Purchased by the donor in 2013 in Cuzco at a meeting called the Tinkuy, which was attended by weavers from the eight communities associated with the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC).