Aymara textile (Bolivia late 19 Century)
Ceremonial Blanket
New World, South America, Bolivia, Aymara peoples, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE
Size 27.75 x 61.5 inches (70,5 x 156,2 cm)
A fine ceremonial blanket comprised of tightly-woven camelid (llama or alpaca wool) fibers natural dyed in hues of espresso, pink, teal, and cream. Each of the longer sides are outlined with a thick pink strip, enclosed with cream threads and with a central teal-hued stripe.Slender pairs of pink stripes complement the interior dark-brown coloration.
Provenance:
Brenda Carvajal collection, Spain
Private collection, Hawaii, USA
about Ayamara
The Aymara are an indigenous group who live in Bolivia, Peru, and Chile, in the Altiplano, mostly in the high altitude valley around Lake Titicaca. They are famous for their many different styles and types of woven textiles, which they have made for thousands of years. After the arrival of the Spanish, Aymara woven textiles became a way for indigenous people to mark their identity - first, as a symbol of status for Mestizos who could not afford European textiles, and then as a way of showing rebellion to the Spanish after other forms of clothing were outlawed following native uprisings.