Belt Item Number: 3486/122 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Finely woven belt (chumpi) finished with fancy braids and round pompons. Centre panel repeats figures of birds and animals; chevron bands near the side selvedges.
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, “pebble” weave variant.
Purchased by the donor in Puno in 1984 at La Sirena, a textile shop owned by Christiane LeFebvre.