Coca Bag Item Number: 3486/64 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Coca leaf bag (chuspa) with woven strap, tubular woven edgings (ribetes) on seams and edges, and a tasseled fringe on the bottom of the bag. The front face has a diamond in the centre containing four potato flowers (papa tika) surrounded by a jagged diamond and geometric patterns. The back face has a repeating pattern of jagged diamonds. The motifs on both faces are in navy blue on an orange background, with a contrasting vertical band at the centre where the motif is design is worked in pink, green, and red on an off-white and yellow background. Six tiered tassels in magenta, olive green, blue, and off-white are attached to the bottom of the bag. The tubular edging has a diamond pattern in yellow and forest green on one side, and in white and magenta on the other side. A pattern of alternating segments of pink and blue within an light brown border is repeated across the strap.
Different types of Andean bags (bolsas, generic term, Spanish) have different names and characteristics. Square or rectangular bags used by men to carry coca leaves are called “chuspa”. Some of these have small pockets woven into one face for carrying the llipt’a (lime-ash substance that releases the alkaloids when chewed with the leaves). Some have straps and are worn around the waist or shoulder.
The figures are woven in a 2-colour supplementary warp weave, a technique called “ley” in the Cuzco area.
Purchased by the donor in the Cuzco area between 1982 and 1984.