FABRIC TO ORDER, EXCELLENT

Bolívar white poncho. Bolivia. End of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century.

Exceptional poncho woven on a stake loom, in two cloths, with a warp face with four edges. Its originality lies in the fact that the yarn destined for the fields, naturally dyed with indigo and/or cochineal, has been replaced by natural white alpaca, without dyeing, while those dyed yarns have been reserved for the fine streets of work. Measures. Length: 1.78m. Width 1.46m.

The thinness of the fabric is the result of the very fine count of the thread used for warp and weft, in addition to its use for more than a century; while the exceptionality of its color lies in the fact that it has been woven at the request of a gentleman belonging to a religious brotherhood, to wear it at the “entrances” (Processions of Catholic festivities that syncretically parade images of the churches surrounded by dancers and bands of popular music). It can be seen that -although the ornamental structure of the streets of the poncho meets the characteristics of the Bolívar style- the two central streets joined by a neutral seam, represent the hoods or hoods of the penitents, inevitable in the Holy Week processions of all the cities of Spain.

This piece comes from the area called Bolívar -formerly called Quirquiavi- which covers sectors of three departments: Cochabamba, Oruro and Potosí, and constitutes a special textile style that is different from the other fabrics of the aforementioned departments. (one)

Without a doubt, the quality of the fabric and the singularity of the design make this poncho a collector's item.

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