Belt Item Number: 3486/113 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Woven belt (chumpi) in synthetic yarn, finished on one end with braids sewn together. The geometric design is split into rectangles with different figures and motifs in alternating colours of red on black and black on red. The motifs are arranged to show two quadrupeds, a human figure wearing a pointed hat with a tail, a house, a human figure wearing a skirt and brimmed hat, a snake, and two smaller animals. A section of vertical stripes in the same alternating black and red appear at the end finished with braids. The top and bottom edges have a blue border.
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. The “pebble” weave technique is called “pata pallay” by the weavers in the Cuzco area.
Purchased by the donor in Ollantaytambo in 1984. It was later identified by the maker as her own, noting that it was made during a time when she was teaching herself to weave in the style of the communities of the Patacancha Valley.