Hobble Tie Item Number: 3486/48 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Braided animal hobble (hank’ay). The braid appears to be from animal hairs (possibly very coarse llama and horsehair). The bobble on the end appears to be made of sheep’s fleece, while the tassel attached to the bobble appears to be horsehair. The braid was done with 16 threads, 8 brown, 4 beige, and 4 black.
Animal hobble; associated with animal husbandry. Used to tie an animal's legs, to keep it from straying too far. In this area of the Andes it was likely used to hobble a camelid, horse or cow.
Bought by the donor in 1978 in Ollantaytambo, at the junction of the Urubamba and Patacancha Valleys, Dept. of Cusco.
The braiding technique is the same as that used for slings, that is, the yarns are held in the fist and braiding proceeds upward. Elements are crossed over the crown in an orderly sequence to produce the spiraling diagonals that periodically change direction.