Belt Item Number: 3486/111 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Double-faced woven belt (chumpi) finished on one end with braids sewn together. The design features one wide central horizontal band with a repeating geometric diamond motif (loraypu) in light green against a light red background with a stripe highlighting the pattern at the centre of the motif in mustard yellow against a black background. Above and below the band at the centre are two matching bands with repeating off-white wave shapes (hakaku sisan) against an oxblood background. A thin row of light olive, red, and black form the border along the top and bottom edges of the belt.
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.
The name loraypu is used for diamond-shapes in different domains: plant leaves, patterns in roof thatching or elsewhere. Sisan can refer to the central part of a flower taken together, while hakaku is the name of a bird.
Acquired by the donor at the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cuzco in 2004.
Woven in a complementary warp weave. The reversible technique is called “doble cara” (double-faced) by the weavers. Yarns are naturally dyed.