Belt Item Number: 3486/126 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Short woven belt (chumpi) finished on one end in loop-end braids that are fastened together and narrow ties on each end. The design is represented in square compartments with an off-white background and motifs in alternating navy blue and pink, and orange and olive green. The design is mainly birds (possibly roosters), as well as a circular shape, and four quadrupeds. Narrow red and yellow stripes flank the patterns. A braided tie in magenta and orange is attached to the braided end, and a piece of off-white rope is attached as a tie 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. The shortness of this belt may indicate it was made for a child.
Woven in a 3-colour, complementary warp weave with 3-span floats in alternate alignment, “pebble” weave variant.
Purchased by the donor in Sucre, Bolivia in 1983, in the shop of Elizabeth Rojas.