Unku of the emperor with central Tocapus, detail (88 different figures) - Archaeological Museum Cuzco - 1976

Inca costeño fabric with representation of stylized feathers - around 1370 - Nazca Valley - width 26 cm - Regional Museum of Ica - 1976

Inca fabric - Lauri, Chancay - Amano Museum Collection - Lima - 1976

Inca-Chancay fabric - with different browns - Amano Museum Collection, Lima - 1976

Detail of woven cotton, one of the most beautiful examples found in the Southwest. The whole piece measures 28 x 24 inches. Tonto Cliff Dwelling (Arizona), Salado Culture, ASM.
ASM = Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson (Arizona)

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with human figures carrying fans and ceremonial staffs in their hands. Private collection. - 1969

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with stylised birds. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1969

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with a stylised person carrying wings. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1969

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with a stylised cat (11 cm). Museo de la Universidad Nacional de San Agustín - Arequipa - 1976

Tissue of the Nazca Culture - Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Belt with male figures in cotton and wool - width 10,2 cm - Museo Amano - Lima - 1976

Burial bundles of the coastal Tiahuanaco culture - Nazca Valley - 11th century - Regional Museum of Ica - 1976

The mats of the Coast Salish were originally woven of the spun woolly hair of the mountain goat and small dogs that were bred especially for this purpose. Although today weavers use sheep's wool, they have retained the traditional stylistic elements. The rug pictured was woven by Krista Point (see 112) who spun the wool herself and dyed it with natural dyes. She says that the pattern of connected triangles represents butterflies. (87 cm)

Krista Point, Susan Point's niece, is considered an excellent weaver of typically Coast Salish rugs. The loom is an improved version of the simpler looms used in earlier times.

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Les tisserands Paracas, qui vivaient sur la côte sud du Pérou il y a plus de 2000 ans, ont confectionné de remarquables étoffes couvertes de dessins symboliques (Museo antropológico, Lima).

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Dès lors que le cavernicole ou le chasseur nomade précolombien devient sédentaire, il tisse les fibres végétales pour se vêtir. D'abord rudimentaire, le tissage devient, avec l'apparition du coton vers 1.400 av. J.-C., un artisanat authentique. Art que cultive toujours, sur le rustique métier de bois posé à l'horizontale, ce tisserand de Quinua, près d'Ayacucho.

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Tissée en coton, prolongée de franges abondantes, l'artistique chuspa d'un Indien coquero d'il y a six cents ans contenait encore sa provision de route de feuilles de coca. Le motif en étoile carrée du haut symbolise le lama céleste, géniteur et protecteur de l'espèce. (Museo regional de Ica, Pérou.)

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Ce fardo funéraire d'un mètre de hauteur est visible au Museo de Antropologia y Arqueologia de Lima, Pérou. Quel dignitaire inca se cache derrière un masque d'apparat en cuivre? Quelle princière momie coiffée de fines nattes postiches, le front ceint d'un Ilauto à plumes jaunes, vêtue d'un uncu à dessins géométriques ceinturé d'une cordelière à pompons rouges, emporta pour son voyage posthume une besace aux lamas stylisés selon d'ancestrales traditions?..

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Précurseur du poncho indien, l'uncu inca aux dessins linéaires en cinq couleurs qui alternent à l'oblique avec des étoiles à huit pointes vient de la région de Chincha, sur la côte sud du Pacifique péruvien. Hauteur: 97 centimètres, largeur: 77 centimètres. (Museo nacional de Antropologia y Arqueologia de Lima, Pérou.)

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Chef-d'oeuvre tant par la texture du tissage en cumbi que par l'harmonie des coloris, ce somptueux uncu impérial fut porté par l'un des dynastes ou par quelque noble de la cour du Cuzco. Quatre-vingt-huit «cases» contenant de mystérieux symboles dits tocapus, interprétés comme une «écriture antique» et secrète, sont actuellement étudiés par Victoria de la Jara et Tomas Barthel. (Museo e Instituto de Arqueologia de la Universidad nacional del Cuzco, Pérou.)

The legends are only available in German or Spanish
Detail eines Stoffes der Vorinkazeit aus Puruchuco im Rímactal mit einem für die Kulturen der zentralperuanischen Pazifikküste charakteristischen Vogelmotiv in geometrischer Stilisierung, wie es besonders in Arbeiten der Chancay-Kultur häufig erscheint. - 1976

The legends are only available in German or Spanish
Ein Salasaca in typischer Tracht- schwarzer Poncho, weiße Hose und weißes Hemd – am Webstuhl. Der karge Boden der zentralecuadorianischen Provinz Tungurahua um die Stadt Ambato hat die Salasacas, einen Stamm von rund zweitausend Indios, gezwungen, neben der Landwirtschaft einem zweiten Erwerb nachzugehen. Ihre Teppiche mit Vogel- und Tiermotiven sind weitherum berühmt. Den Vertrieb der Stoffe besorgen meist die Otavaleños. - 1976

Detail of a Tiahuanaco fabric, 160x62 cm, made of cotton and wool - Origin: Campanario, Huarmey - Amano Museum - Lima - 1976

Tiahuanaco warrior mummy from the coast - Nazca Valley - Regional Museum of Ica - 1976

Tiahuanaco fabric with four hands in red - Amano-Museum - Lima - 1976

Inca Weaving from Pisquillo, Chancay - with Chacana - Amano Museum Collection, Lima - 1976

Inca-Chancay fabric - with green and red - Amano Museum Collection, Lima - 1976

Doll from Chancay - Height 35 cm - Private collection - Lima - 1976

Doll from Chancay - Height 34 cm - Private collection - Lima - 1976

Belt with male figures in cotton and wool - width 10,2 cm - Museo Amano - Lima - 1976

Chancay fabric with stylised personified animals - Height 22.5 cm - Width 8 cm - Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima

Inca fabric - Lauri, Chancay - Amano Museum Collection - Lima - 1976

Fabric with decorations of stylized people and lamas - width 30 cm, height of people 37 mm - Inca costeño culture - Nazca valley - around 1370 - Regional Museum of Ica - 1976

Tassel - Inca period - length 30 cm - National University of San Agustín, Arequipa - 1976

Coca bag - Inca - height 66 cm - Museum of Anthropology, Lima - 1977

Ceremonial shirt from the Inca period (Coast) - 15th century - height 88cm and width 77.5 cm - squares 75x75 mm - Nazca valley - Regional Museum of Ica - 1976

Detail of a pre-Inca fabric. Height 43 cm, width 29 cm. There are 15 motifs on the fabric, it measures 3.22 m by 1.57 m. - Museo Puruchuco - Lima - 1976

Detail of a pre-Inca fabric. There are 15 motifs on the fabric and it measures 3.22 m by 1.57 m. - Museo Puruchuco - Lima - 1976

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture. On the dress are trophy heads. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1969

Detail at the edge of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture. Each person carries two trophy heads. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with a stylised cat (11 cm). Museo de la Universidad Nacional de San Agustín - Arequipa - 1976

One of the few, if not the only fabric preserved from the Chavín culture: painted cotton and again the familiar motifs of fangs, feather snakes and condor claws. - Museo Amano, Lima, Peru. - 1976

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with human figures carrying fans and ceremonial staffs in their hands. Private collection. - 1969

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with a stylised reptile. The whole cloth has 9 figures and measures 2.50m x 1.18m. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with four warriors with masks. In one hand they are holding a trophy head, in the other apparently a musical instrument. Four trophy heads hang from the trousers. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

Fabrics of wool and cotton - Mochica culture - Origin Chiquitoy, Trujillo - Museo Amano - Lima - 1976

Detail of a mummy cloth (manto) of the Paracas necropolis culture with four warriors with masks. In one hand they are holding a trophy head, in the other apparently a musical instrument. Four trophy heads hang from the trousers. Museo Nacional de Antropología y Arqueología, Lima - 1977

The looms of pre-Columbian times consisted of four stakes planted in the ground. The Spaniards introduced the voluminous pedal loom, which was immediately adopted by the natives. It was mainly used to make fabrics of certain dimensions and a single colour. Beautiful red wool ponchos are woven in Molinos (Salta). They are worn by the locals or sold to tourists. - 1973

In the cool interior of a house in Ghardaïa, an Arab woman weaves a carpet. Mzab carpets are well known throughout the Sahara for their elegant, colourful geometry, especially those from Beni-Isguen, the holy city of the Mzabites. - Algeria - 1966

Photo Gallery