Cornell's Peruvian Weaver - Weaving Implements

Three types of looms were employed by pre-Hispanic weavers in the Andes: the back-strap loom, the horizontal ground loom and the vertical loom. The back-strap loom is the most common in the archaeological record and the majority of textiles were produced on this implement. It consists of two parallel loom bars between which the warp is stretched. One bar is fixed to a tree or other such anchor and the other bar is attached to a strap worn around the back of the weaver. This
configuration allows the weaver to adjust the tension in the loom by either leaning forward or backward. A shed rod is inserted between alternate strands and a heddle stick is attached to even strands of the warp. This heddle stick can then be raised or lowered to allow the passage of weft-wrapped shuttle between the strands of the warp.

The textiles of Peru were created from a range of fibers, including cacti (Furcrae occidentalis), milkweed (Asclepias sp.), viscacha (Lagostomus vizcacha), bat wool, and even human hair. However, the primary sources of fiber were cotton (Gossypium barbadense) and camelids such as alpacas (Lama pacos) and llamas (Lama glama).

After the raw fibers were cleaned they were twisted into yarn and collected on a wooden spindle, often weighted with a wooden or ceramic whorl. The direction of the twist in yarn is described as either S (clockwise) or Z (counterclockwise). The individual yarns could then be twisted or plied together.

The direction of both the spin and ply varied, but was often culturally significant. On the North Coast S-spin predominated, whereas Z-spin was more common on the South Coast. On the Central Coast yarn was spun in both directions. Contrary spin, such as Z-spin on the North Coast, was associated with sorcery.

Although women did most of the spinning, men, especially older men, also spun. The use of the drop spindle allowed people to spin while walking or tending the herds.

In addition to the natural brown, grays and whites of the raw fibers, Andean textiles exhibit a rainbow of colors derived from dyes. These dyes were derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources and include indigo, cochineal, relbunium, cinnabar, tannin, hematite, atacamite, and azurite. Wool, with its abundant animal fat, absorbs and retains dye better than cotton and was therefore the preferred fiber for polychrome motifs.

The image above shows the strap of the backstrap loom that was donated with the Peruvian weaver. There was a pumpkin seed tucked in its fold.

The image below shows cotton yarn, both dyed and undyed, in Cornell's collection.