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Specific Techniques

Woven in a 3-colour, complementary warp weave with 3-span floats in alternate alignment, “pebble” weave variant.

Description

Short belt (chumpi) with mainly birds (possibly roosters), 3 quadrupeds and a hairy star in compartments; ends are finished in loop-end braids that are fastened together and narrow ties are attached to each end. Narrow red and yellow stripes flank the patterns.

History Of Use

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 shortness of this belt may indicate it was made for a child.

Narrative

Purchased by the donor in Sucre, Bolivia in 1983, in the shop of Elizabeth Rojas.