Bolivia and Peru have a lot in common. Geographically, they both contain great expanses of the Andean highlands. Historically, both were part of the Inca empire. Ethnographically, they are Quechua- and Aymara-speaking. Their textiles are woven largely from sheep’s wool or camelid fibers—alpaca, vicuña. Both often use natural dyes, notably cochineal. But there are interesting differences, observable over time.
Gail LeBow went to Bolivia with her Peace Corps physician husband in 1969; she had a 2 ½-year-old son and was pregnant with her second. They were posted to Cochabamba in central Bolivia, a bustling city of mild climate and reasonable access to highland villages where traditional lifeways were practiced. Gail visited these villages as often as she could, new baby in tow.
In Potolo, Ravelo, and other villages, she saw women weaving on a common style of loom not generally seen in Peru, consisting of an upright frame set on a slant. These women were part of the Indigenous Jalq’a community, and wove for their families, not to sell. To buy these traditional textiles, Gail would look for women in the markets selling coca leaves. Often, they would be sitting on a stack of textiles and could be persuaded to sell some if asked.
The dominant color was typically black, a very deep black that often came from dark fleece overdyed with black chemical dye. Red fantastical figures of birds, mammals, and mythical creatures paraded across this black ground, sometimes in orderly lines, sometimes entwined together. The overall style was intensely dreamlike, but what these figures represented in the minds of the weavers is a mystery. Gail says that she asked but answers were not forthcoming, either because of language differences or cultural issues. Likewise, the way the weavers were able to visualize and organize multiple dibujos (designs) across the width of a piece was inconceivable to her and fascinating.
When Gail and her family left Bolivia more than fifty years ago, she took a healthy collection of handmade textiles with her. Aguayos (carrying cloths), aksus (a sort of apron, worn either in the back or front), ponchos, belts, bags, and more. Now, she has generously donated many outstanding pieces to Andean Textile Arts for its upcoming auction, knowing that proceeds will go back to the weaving communities in Bolivia and Peru. You can find out more about it here.
Items in our 2024 "A Bid for the Future" Auction
