Description

A black rectangular cloth. Fragments of a tubular woven edging (ribete) adhere to some parts of the outside edge, indicating it was originally finished with an edging all the way around..

History Of Use

The wear near the corners of this cloth, some finely darned, indicate this garment had been worn around the shoulders with the upper corners pinned at the chest, ie as a woman’s shawl. The long, narrow proportions suggest it may have been originally made as a headcloth, and older style garment that are not worn so often today. Black garments are worn in many parts of the Andes for the period of luto (mourning), usually about a year for a family member. According to Elena Phipps (2000), black garments were worn in the Colonial Period as a political expression of grief that the country had fallen subject to a colonial power.

Narrative

Purchased by the donor in Cuzco in 1982, in the market beyond Plaza San Francisco.

Specific Techniques

Cloth was woven in warp-faced plain weave.

Broad, lengthwise borders on each side have a subtle pattern like a herringbone, visible in slanting light. This arises from the alternation in the spin/ply direction of adjacent warps. The less usual direction, s spun and Z plied, is called loq’e, which means “something different”. Such yarns are thought to have magical or curative properties.

Another technical feature is the use of pink heading cords at the ends of both loom panels.