MANTA
Woven textiles from the Andes of Peru
Situated within a mountainous crossroads region of Cusco, at an altitude of 3.570m, lies the small town of Pitumarca. As the main town of the area, Pitumarca has always been a stopping point for travellers and traders. The region has been greatly influenced by the techniques and practices of many passing cultures, through local people adopting and integrating different methods and processes, resulting in the development of unique and highly complex designs.
An example of such excellence is the ticlla design, which simulates double cloth. It is a unique and historical technique that can be traced back to two thousand years. The design requires meticulous planning and execution and clearly demonstrates the technical and artistic ability of the local master weavers. Woven textile practices of the Peruvian Andes, are valued and treasured as an inseparable part of all men and women of the region.
The artisans are highly respected and admired for their skill and wisdom. Weaving for them is the practice of the metaphorical representation of the world they live in. Andean designs symbolically feature natural forces, mythical creatures, spirits, rituals and beliefs, depicted within overlapping layers of hand spun thread.
Our initial contact was with Victoria Quishpe, a local weaver in her late 40’s, who lives in the outskirts of Pitumarca with her three children and her husband Alfredo. Victoria started weaving as a young adolescent girl taught by her mother. She is a master weaver who mainly uses alpaca and vicuna. She explained how artisans prefer to use alpaca wool for fine textile work produced on back-strap looms. Alpacas are used for their fibre, meat and bones which are commonly used as weaving tools. The animals are kept at a higher altitude, on the highlands of Ausangate, a sacred mountain, which is usually depicted within the textiles produced.
Design iconography is woven within mantels, coca bags - chumpis, ponchos, scarfs -challinas and any celebratory dress. The colours have a symbolic meaning and are traditionally made using natural dyes. The most common dye comes from the Cochineal insect, a type of parasite that grows on cactus and produces a strong red colour.
Andean textiles of Peru have been studied and analysed in great length by anthropologists, historians, archaeologists and designers. The discovery of the rich history of the Andes has revealed the complex worlds of cultures such as the Chimu, Nasca, Tiwanaku and of course the Incas. Textiles are an integral part of the Andean world, with the oldest textile specimen found at Guitarrero Cave in the central Cordillera Blanca dating back to 8600 BC. For the people of the Andes, textiles are a form of communication both covertly and openly, embodying coded information through symbols, colours and patterns. In many ways fabrics can be considered as messages left by their ancestors transmitting multiple layers of knowledge.
Each maker will create numerous textile pieces throughout their lifetime capturing their thoughts and knowledge. It is important to mention that symbolic representation has been practised for several thousand years, however symbols and systems have transformed with the passing of time and new meanings have been introduced to reflect present times.