Overview

Handwoven fabrics comprise the living history and culture of the Peruvian highlands from Cusco to Machu Picchu and beyond. Fabric patterns with evocative names reflect the landscape and events in vivid color, evolving over time. The weavers who create these fabrics in the time-honored way are keepers of the culture and sustainers of a noble but difficult lifestyle in tune with the earth. They raise llamas and alpacas for fiber, collect plants for natural dyes, spin yarn on primitive spindles, and weave acres of cloth on simple backstrap looms just as their forebears have done for thousands of years. They weave clothing, rugs, bedcovers, potato sacks, hunting slings, and sacrificial fabrics - for themselves and their villages, and for sale to supplement their meager incomes. Travellers visiting the area (hundreds of thousands a year from North America alone) are drawn to this authentic, well-crafted work and given the opportunity to collect it at every street corner and rail stop. Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands is their guide to quality, understanding, and appreciation. They will learn how pattern names such as Meandering River or Lake with Flowers relate to the geography and history, and how the traditional natural materials and colors enhance the value of the work.

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9781596680555

Table of Contents

Reviews

Looking for stunning colour and ethnic textiles? look no further. This is a beautiful book from the founder and director of the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco, Peru. See fabulous colour reproductions of the textile sand found out how they were made. Whilst this book does not provide weaving patterns and no knitwear is included, it is an interesting book on Peruvian textiles, a good resource for designers.-KarenPlatt.co.uk

Author Information

Nilda Callanaupa Alvarez is one of the founders and Director of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco where she works with ten weaving communities to preserve and promote Cusquenan textile traditions and to support the weavers and their work. Nilda grew up in Chinchero, Peru, learning spinning, weaving, and knitting from her family and other elders of the community. She holds degrees from the National University of San Antonio Abad in Cusco, and is an international speaker and expert in Cusquenan textiles. Nilda lives in Cusco and Chinchero with her husband and two sons. Her previous titles, Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands, Faces of Tradition, and Textile Traditions of Chinchero have sold more than 40,000 copies worldwide.

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