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Coca bag, Bolivia, northern Potosí, possibly
Laymí, 1950-75. The Textile Museum 2007.29.18.
Latin American Research Fund.
Man's
coca bag, Bolivia, Charazani area, mid-20th century.
The Textile Museum 1989.28.9. Latin American Research
Fund.
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The
Finishing Touch: Accessories from the Bolivian Highlands
February
15 - October 26, 2008
The Textile
Museum recently acquired a large group of charming accessories
from the Bolivian highlands. These belts, bags and other items
inspired this exhibition, which also includes Bolivian textiles
already in the Museum's collection. The woven and knitted
pieces were collected in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when
such examples, made in the early to middle 20th century with
handspun wool yarns, were commonly available. Subsequently,
the more prevalent use of commercially produced yarns has
changed the overall look of handwoven cloth.
The belts,
bags and other accessories in the exhibition, although small,
are often invested with great care and even more fully decorated
than larger shawls and ponchos. Some are used in daily dress,
while the more elaborate examples were often made for festival
costumes.
The bags
serve a variety of purposes, from decorative accents in festival
dress to utilitarian containers for the farmer's lunch in
the fields. The exhibition also features other garments, such
as the Charazani area omen's headband, still called by its
Inca name, wincha, and the small shoulder ponchos of
the Tarabuco area, still called unku, the Inca word
for tunic.
The broad
range of techniques, patterns and items in the exhibition
reflects the many regional variations that characterize the
cultural wealth of the Bolivian highlands.
The
Finishing Touch: Accessories from the Bolivian Highlands
is organized by Ann P. Rowe, curator, Western Hemisphere Collections.
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