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Narrative

Purchased by the donor in the Cuzco artesania market in 2013.

History Of Use

Bands are used in various ways as fasteners or adornments in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia. Watana is the name for narrow patterned bands that are used to adorn monteras (money bags), sombreros (hats), or chullu (caps), and to provide ties for closures on garments or straps on bags. Watana are also made for sale to tourists, as they are small items that can be quickly made with the left-over yarns from larger projects. This band was used on a man’s felted sombrero.

Specific Techniques

Mixed yarns are commercially dyed. Woven in a supplementary warp weave. The large tassels have wrapped stems, to finish off the yarns of the band.

Description

Hat band (watana) with multicoloured darned motif complimented by beading on the surface, and three large tassels at the back. The band has a beige base with orange and blue edging. Varied shades of green, blue, orange, yellow, and pink are darned onto the band creating the geometric diamond motif. Round white opaque beads are stitched onto the surface following the darned pattern with a white border and white diamond shapes, highlighted with diamonds in silver, pearl, and orange circular beads. Stitched horizontally between the round beads are translucent tube beads in shades of green, blue, yellow, red, and orange. The multicoloured tassels are in green, blue, yellow, and dark reddish-brown with pink wrapping; pink, yellow, red, and blue with yellow wrapping; and orange, blue, salmon, and green with green wrapping.