Belt Item Number: 3486/105 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Belt (chumpi) with a wide variety of geometric figures; finished at one end with loop-manipulated braids and a woven tape that outlines the braided section. Red, green, and yellow figures in the central bands.
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 reversible 2-colour complementary warp weave, except for the central band, which is a 3-colour complementary warp weave that is not reversible.
Purchased by donor from Paulina Pumayalli in Chinchero in 1982.