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Description

Small woven poncho made of 2 loom widths with 4 finished edges. The plain purple field (pampa) is flanked by stripes in each half and narrow design bands centred within them.

Specific Techniques

Woven on an indigenous loom; dyed with colours from natural sources. Although the poncho is warp-faced, the use of a red weft shows through slightly. This technique is called “tornesol” (turns to the sun) or “pechuga de paloma” (dove’s breast) because the colour changes when the angle of light changes. The technique was imported from Spain and the earliest examples in the Andes used silk (pink or red) as weft. Later pieces used dyed camelid wefts to achieve the same effect.

History Of Use

The small size of the poncho may indicate it was ceremonial, and worn like a shoulder poncho for dancing. The stripes and designs are typical of the "Lake" style (Aymara from the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca).

Narrative

Purchased by the donor from Christiane LeFebvre at “La Sirena”, a textile shop in Puno in 1984.