Ceremonial Poncho Department of La Paz, Bolivia, 19th C. Warp faced alpaca. Elaborately striped in natural dye colors while maintaining an overall bilateral symmetry, this two-loom panel wedding poncho would be used during the significant ceremonial events in a man's life. Woven by his wife, this exceptional example of textile art shows superior spinning, dyeing, and weaving all accomplished by the same female artist during the height of the republican revival of pre-Hispanic textile excellence in the mid 19th century. Over 30 distinctly dyed warp bands, including examples of the new Bolivian flag, compose each of the six stripes in carefully considered, bilaterally symmetrical, color arrays. There is a separately woven and attached fringe of complementary color. The use of 6 striped bands as the primary declarative element on the overall sky blue ground color of the finely made poncho, formerly a tunic, has over 1000 years history as the traditional identification garment of the male elite of the highland Wari Culture. This poncho became the heirloom of the descendants after the passing of the original owner, to be well guarded and sparingly used. Slight moth damage (<01%). Size: 2'11'' x 4'5'' (89 x 135 cm).

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