Chillma poncho.

Caracara ethnic group. Potosi. Bolivia. First quarter of the 20th century.

This poncho has been woven on a floor loom -also called a stake loom-, in two panels, with a warp face technique, with four edges, joined by an ornamental central seam. It is a piece that brings together in its structure the ability of the craftswoman to achieve the multiple shades that make up her design and combine them with mastery, added to the delicacy of the twenty clever workpieces with different geometric motifs. Measurements: Height: 153 cm / 60.23 in. Width: 126 cm / 49.6 in. Fringes: 1.5 cm / 0.59 in.

Chillma is a very small town, close to Caiza, settlement of the primitive caracaras of the south, and very influenced by its textile tradition, although it always maintained its individuality in terms of its designs, similar in terms of polychromy, but with its differences. . Documentary texts classify Chillma weavings as a Caiza sub-style. In this regard, Teresa Gisbert states: “In Caiza, the main designs are also the rhombus and the hook, but they show greater polychromy. Their fabrics alternate pampas (textile field) of different colors with narrow strips of pallay (labor design)”. (1)

Since the middle of the 20th century, the city of Caiza has spread and the neighboring towns have been losing their traditional essence. It is currently difficult to find textile pieces that respond to the characteristics of the chillmas, so we can consider this poncho as an appreciated collector's item.

Note:

1. Teresa Gisbert, Silvia Arce, Marta Cajías: Textiles in the Bolivian Andes. La Paz, Ed. Bolivian Photo Agency / Quipus Cultural Fund, 2003, p. 169.

S.O. XV-GBOM