Belt Item Number: 3486/109 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Woven belt (chumpi) with a repeating pattern, finished on one end with braids sewn together to form a loop. The main ‘loraypu’ motif features diamonds in red and off-white with hook-shaped decorations. The motif is continued through two horizontal stripes with orange sections replacing the white elements and green sections replacing the red elements. Thin bands of pale yellow, a light greyish-purple, and deep burgundy border the design along the top and bottom edges. The braids on the right end are sectioned together in the same colour groupings that are present throughout the belt.
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; the reversible technique is called “doble cara” (double-faced) by the weavers.
Purchased by the donor from the maker in 1983 in Chinchero.
The name "loraypu" is used for diamond-shapes in different domains: plant leaves, patterns in roof thatching or elsewhere. It is the most widely woven pattern in Chinchero.