Threads of Time: Tradition and Change in Indigenous American Textiles
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Tzut (Head Cloth) with “Recuerdo de Albina Semet" Jaspé (Tie-Dyed Threads)
As weavers learn from their elders, practice, and become highly skilled, some of the most proficient are able to tie-dye threads so that they spell words, people’s or place’s names, and sometimes even phrases. These are perhaps the most prestigious…
Lliklla (Woman’s Mantle) with Indigo and Red
This 20th century lliklla, shoulder mantle in Quechua, embodies the long-held Andean concept of ayni or dual parts in an almost-equal relationship. First, blue paired with bright red is a typical Andean choice; the two highest-status colors are cool…
Lliklla (Woman’s Mantle) with Guitar and Olive Branch Motifs
Among the various detailed patterns in this woman’s shoulder mantle are three sideways guitar motifs (in the patterned stripe above the shawl’s center seam). Introduced by the Spanish, guitars are now also associated with Latin American music. The…
Huipíl (Blouse) for a Female Saint or Effigy of the Virgin Mary
This miniature woman’s blouse was woven for a wooden santa (female saint figure) to wear as she stood or sat on an altar in a Catholic church in San Pedro Sacatepéquez. Dressing saints in traditional Maya attire is an obvious way in which the two…
Tzut (Head Cloth) with Tassels
This jaspé tzut shows the use of tie-dyed warps in weaving. Repeatedly dipped in indigo and tied off to preserve white stripes, warps were laboriously prepared before weaving. When untied and placed on the loom in the proper sequence, then the weft…
Tumi (Ceremonial Knife) with Llama Head
It may seem odd that a textile exhibition should include several metal objects. However, this ceremonial knife with a crescent-shaped blade (known as a tumi) shows clear evidence of having been wrapped in textiles in antiquity. This Inka tumi takes…