Poncho



Title: Poncho Date: Early 20th century Location: South America (Andes Regions; Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, parts of Colombia and Argentina) Current Location (for the featured piece): The Minneapolis Institute of Arts Artist: Inca (specific unknown) Material: Wool
 * Identification**

The poncho is a piece of clothing traditionally worn by the indigenous peoples of the Andes region. It is much like a large cloak that covers the shoulders down, and is designed to keep the body warm, typical of the characteristically cold weather of the region from which it originated. Generally, ponchos are made out of alpaca, vicuna or llama wool (Pang, 1992, p. 289). These wools would then be dyed by a collection of different natural items, such as purple aniline (Scheville, et. al., 1991, p. 160). The designs displayed upon different ponchos were the result of different weaving techniques by different groups of people, and they would change dramatically over time resulting from change in customs and norms, as well as increased interactions with Europeans after colonialization.
 * Introduction**

This poncho, seen in the above image, in particular is composed of darker colors. The primary purpose of this type of clothing, though beautiful and artistic, is not actually art, but rather, clothing. The poncho, as mentioned above, was designed to keep warm in the cold Andes mountains climate. The wool used is the ideal material for this climate. Additionally, the wool of the mountain animals used by the Andean peoples in the manufacturing of these ponchos, alpacas specifically, are long and fine, which makes them ideal and easy for threading. Understanding the designs is quite important, and there are a number of possible explanations thereof. The piece's design was most probably owing its birth to the imagination of the weaver at the time (s)he weaved it. Considering the discovery time of this piece as early 20th century, it is likely that this is the case, as the Incan civilization had long been conquered at that point; it is also well known that the weaving of traditional native clothing, such as ponchos, became something of a commercial act and source of income post-colonization for the people whose livelihoods had been usurped and replaced with European style values and culture.
 * Descriptive Analysis**

The poncho came about as a reaction to colonial impositions. The traditional men's warp-faced tunic was banned by the Spanish colonizers. The [|poncho was its replacement], designed to keep rain and cold out. While the main function of the poncho is as clothing in cold regions, there is undoubtedly a creative and artistic aspect thereto. The weaving of the poncho is a long and delicate process, requiring extreme finesse and care. Typically, alpaca wool is used, because it offers the best combination of fineness and length, thereby being both stronger and more tightly fitting as well as easier to spin; however, vicuna wool was sometimes used, as it is finer but shorter (Pang, 1992, p. 289). The wool is usually dyed before or after the weaving, depending upon the preference of the weaver, though sometimes the poncho is left undyed. The poncho is then woven by hand on a treadle loom. The designs, therefore, are also installed by hand, which requires the weaver to envision the final product of the poncho before having woven it (Scheville, et. al., 1991, p. 160-161).
 * Formal and Contextual Analysis**

The designs of the poncho may have any one of a number of different interpretations. First, the color of this particular poncho may have some type of indication on the tribe of people who made this; a crest of sorts. Also, it may be due to the surroundings; that is, this type of cloth may have helped the indigenous tribe who it belonged to better blend in with their surroundings, making attack from enemy tribes less likely, as well as hunting wild animals easier. They could indicate, still, a tribute to some god or some sort of religious symbol of the Inca religion. Scheville, et. al., refer to the heavy wear the poncho comes under during use in agriculture, which may also explain the dark color (p. 161).

John Rowe (1979, p. 254-257) found four designs to be commonly found in these ponchos. These four designs include having a number of differently-designed square rows, called t'oqapu (see fig. 3), black and white checkerboard patterns below a solid-red triangle (see fig. 2), a waistband of diamond shapes, and a design in which two-thirds were covered by checkerboard style patterns and the bottom third by five colored stripes.





Rowe continues to explain that thought most ponchos are found embroidered with these common designs, some unique examples were found, which are hypothesized to have belonged to royalty or elites. This poncho is an ikat-dyed chief's poncho, hence the unique design. This one belonged to the Mapuche people, who had [|three types of chief's ponchos], amongst which the ikat-dyed version was considered the most prestigious.

Today, like many items of indigenous clothing, ponchos have become something of an artifact souvenir. Though they are still worn in some parts of Mesoamerica, the main use for ponchos in the modern world is to be sold as consumers items, especially for eager Western tourists. This has led to the design to be less tradition and increasingly extravagant and ceremonial. The new era has witnessed the introduction of ponchos with long stripes along the side and lacy decorations. Although ponchos have historically been known as male attire, they are now being largely marketed as a female product as stores and sites like [|this one.]

//Printed Sources// Pang, Hildegard Delgado. "Pre-Columbian Art: Investigations and Insights." University of Oklahoma Press (1992): 289-291. -this book offered information about artistic traditions in general among Mesoamericans, including textiles in particular
 * References**

Rowe, John. "Standardization in Inca Tapestry Tunics." In Rowe, A. P., Benson, and Schaffer (1976): 254-257. -specific and detailed with regards to Inca textile art

Schevill, Margot; Berlo, Janet Catherine; Dwyer, Edward Brigdman. "Textile Traditions of Mesoamerica and the Andes." University of Texas Press (1996): 160-161. -chronicled all types of different clothing tradition of indigenous people of Mesoamerica

//Online Sources// http://www.alpacanation.com/alpaca-products/alpaca-products-retail-2.asp?level=category&name=Poncho&cat=10214 -this is just a website that sells designer ponchos for women.

http://www.artsmia.org -Minneapolis Institute of Art website; has links to exhibitions, past and present, one of which was Mesoamerican art

http://www.globalvolunteers.org/peru/peru_people5.asp -a website concerned with cultural preservation of the native people of Peru and other Andes regions

http://www.sacredgeometrics.com/SacredGeometrics_Gallery_TextileIkatSanitran.php -an art website concerned with textile and gemstone art.