Lliklla (Woman’s Mantle) with Indigo and Red

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 and warm, natural opposites but also complementary. Second, Bolivian garments still today are almost universally formed of two units of cloth sewn together. On a practical level, making smaller cloths means each can have a tighter weave and therefore finer patterning, since the threads have a shorter distance to travel before they sag. Third, here the central seam is covered with alternating colors of bright embroidery stitching, drawing attention to the two distinct parts of the garment. Thus, this mantle represents the idea that two together make a whole, parts balancing in a dynamic dialogue.

This piece also combines ancient, colonial, and modern elements. The process of indigo dyeing was in place well before 1000 BC in the Andes. However, this particular geometric pattern was invented in the 20th century. The pink areas are dyed with chemically derived aniline dyes developed in the 19th century. The use of sheep’s wool is a modern development, replacing alpaca as the fiber of choice after the Spanish brought sheep from Europe. The artist has employed lloque (alternating threads dyed the same color but spun and plied in opposite directions to create slight, shadowy diagonals) pioneered in the 16th century. A lliklla such as this epitomizes the idea of the palimpsest, or layering over time.

For more conservation information, please see The Threads of Time Conservation Project.