**First Time At Auction**

New World, South America, Bolivia, Aymara (Aimara) people, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A gorgeous bright red, woven alpaca wool cloth, almost square in form, with alternating thin bands of green and white stripes. The wider white bands are punctuated at regular intervals with sun-like designs. The fabric has retained much of its rich color. Size: 31" W x 34.5" H (78.7 cm x 87.6 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. These are often in the form of large ponchos, 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 Moore collection, Denver, Colorado, USA acquired thirty years ago

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#123362

Slight fraying to edges and signs of age on surface. Piece is made from two strips sewn together and there is fraying along the sewn line in the center.