Textiles
When the Spanish Conquistadores arrived in Peru in 1430, the height of the Incan Empire, they only had eyes for the abundant profusion of glittering gold. The Incan capital of Cuzco was the most rich city of all the Americas. Its temples were plated with heavy gold, and whole menageries of gold animals lay inside. But of even more value to the Inca, were the rich and varied textiles they created.
Peru has the longest continuous history of textile production in the world, going back almost 10,000 years. This is because textiles were very important to the Inca culture and plays a significant role in social customs and traditions. Invented long before pottery and just as humans started agriculture, Peruvian fiber manipulation began with simple spun fibers, moving on through cords and nets. By 500 BC this simple craft had developed into complex weaving, employing practically every technique known today.
Textiles were very important to the Inca culture. Apart from being used for clothing, textiles had religious and social significance. A piece of textile or clothing was considered to be the most prestigious gift. Soldiers, religious representatives and citizens that had distinguished themselves by serving the empire were given clothing as a sign of appreciation. The Incas also considered clothing to have "magical" powers - that if you stole and wore your enemy's clothing you could overpower or destroy him. The Alpaca's finest fiber - like that of the Vicuna - was considered of such value that it was only used by Inca royalty.
In Paracas, exquisite and delicate textile art can be dated as far back as 600 BC. We know of these textiles because they were wrapped in layer after intricate layer around mummies, and were thought to accompany Paracas people into the afterlife.
Ornate featherwork textiles were also highly prized by the ancient peoples of the central Andes, as well as those in the highlands and along the coast. Many examples of feathered garments and hangings patterned by feather mosaic have been recovered from the arid costal region, where they were preserved for centuries and, often, for millennia.
Though featherwork textiles are no longer common, other weaving traditions of Peru have remained strong, passed down through traditional teaching methods of observation and repetition. While modern methods of textile production have become prevalent as Peru takes its place as a leading producer of high quality textiles, the backstrap loom, still used in the Andes today, dates to pre Inca times.
Textiles continue to play an integral role in Peruvian culture. They are given as gifts in courtship, and are important parts of marriage and coming of age ceremonies. Because most of Peruvian textile creators are women, money earned from this art is more likely to go toward feeding and caring for children, and improves the lives of women as they become larger contributors to household income.
Creating intricate, detailed textile designs, Peruvian artisans draw from the world’s longest textile tradition. With knowledge that stretches back millennia, it’s no wonder that their hands create some of the most beautiful, luxurious fashion in the world. It is by this path that Peru has entered the world market as a textile superstar.
http://www.peruthisweek.com/blogs-keeping-the-peruvian-textiles-tradition-alive-in-peru-60113
Alpaca
The Alpaca and Llama were both domesticated around 7,000 years ago; providing food, clothing and transportation for humans throughout the Andean countries of South America. Members of the South American camel family, Alpacas graze in the high plain regions at elevations of 10,000 to 1,000 feet. During the Inca times, alpaca fiber was both a status symbol and a prized trade item. Finer grades of Alpaca were reserved for use by the Inca nobility.
Find out more on why Alpaca is considered an valuable material for clothing:
http://rkperu.com/en/natural-fibers/alpaca/
http://www1.american.edu/ted/alpaca.htm
When the Spanish Conquistadores arrived in Peru in 1430, the height of the Incan Empire, they only had eyes for the abundant profusion of glittering gold. The Incan capital of Cuzco was the most rich city of all the Americas. Its temples were plated with heavy gold, and whole menageries of gold animals lay inside. But of even more value to the Inca, were the rich and varied textiles they created.
Peru has the longest continuous history of textile production in the world, going back almost 10,000 years. This is because textiles were very important to the Inca culture and plays a significant role in social customs and traditions. Invented long before pottery and just as humans started agriculture, Peruvian fiber manipulation began with simple spun fibers, moving on through cords and nets. By 500 BC this simple craft had developed into complex weaving, employing practically every technique known today.
Textiles were very important to the Inca culture. Apart from being used for clothing, textiles had religious and social significance. A piece of textile or clothing was considered to be the most prestigious gift. Soldiers, religious representatives and citizens that had distinguished themselves by serving the empire were given clothing as a sign of appreciation. The Incas also considered clothing to have "magical" powers - that if you stole and wore your enemy's clothing you could overpower or destroy him. The Alpaca's finest fiber - like that of the Vicuna - was considered of such value that it was only used by Inca royalty.
In Paracas, exquisite and delicate textile art can be dated as far back as 600 BC. We know of these textiles because they were wrapped in layer after intricate layer around mummies, and were thought to accompany Paracas people into the afterlife.
Ornate featherwork textiles were also highly prized by the ancient peoples of the central Andes, as well as those in the highlands and along the coast. Many examples of feathered garments and hangings patterned by feather mosaic have been recovered from the arid costal region, where they were preserved for centuries and, often, for millennia.
Though featherwork textiles are no longer common, other weaving traditions of Peru have remained strong, passed down through traditional teaching methods of observation and repetition. While modern methods of textile production have become prevalent as Peru takes its place as a leading producer of high quality textiles, the backstrap loom, still used in the Andes today, dates to pre Inca times.
Textiles continue to play an integral role in Peruvian culture. They are given as gifts in courtship, and are important parts of marriage and coming of age ceremonies. Because most of Peruvian textile creators are women, money earned from this art is more likely to go toward feeding and caring for children, and improves the lives of women as they become larger contributors to household income.
Creating intricate, detailed textile designs, Peruvian artisans draw from the world’s longest textile tradition. With knowledge that stretches back millennia, it’s no wonder that their hands create some of the most beautiful, luxurious fashion in the world. It is by this path that Peru has entered the world market as a textile superstar.
http://www.peruthisweek.com/blogs-keeping-the-peruvian-textiles-tradition-alive-in-peru-60113
Alpaca
The Alpaca and Llama were both domesticated around 7,000 years ago; providing food, clothing and transportation for humans throughout the Andean countries of South America. Members of the South American camel family, Alpacas graze in the high plain regions at elevations of 10,000 to 1,000 feet. During the Inca times, alpaca fiber was both a status symbol and a prized trade item. Finer grades of Alpaca were reserved for use by the Inca nobility.
Find out more on why Alpaca is considered an valuable material for clothing:
http://rkperu.com/en/natural-fibers/alpaca/
http://www1.american.edu/ted/alpaca.htm