New World, South America, Bolivia, Aymara (Aimara) people, ca. early 20th century CE. A ceremonial blanket, woven from camelid (alpaca or llama) wool - with decorative borders featuring registers of stylized birds, zoomorphs, flora, and geometric motifs in red, pink, yellow, orange, green, purple, burgundy, white, and black hues trimming a black-brown central area, which is comprised of two large panels. A wonderful example! Size: 41.625" W x 24.25" H (105.7 cm x 61.6 cm)
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. Today they continue to make these beautiful textiles, which have gained worldwide acclaim.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection
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#132059
Condition
Some areas of the central panels show normal fading. Minute areas of very slight fraying at the edges. Otherwise excellent.