Andean weavers can roll up and carry their backstrap looms with them wherever they go.
This loom is unrolled and ready for work to resume. The weaver will attach the loose unwoven end around a stake in the ground and fasten the woven section around her waist. She stretches out the long warp yarns until they are taut. Then she can weave.
Notice how the warp curls when released from tension. A characteristic of authentic Andean weavings is the spinning of tight bead-like yarn.
This belt is contained in the University of Vermont Fleming Museum traveling kit, "The Incas, Past and Present."
| Peruvian Family | Weaving | Market | Descendants of the Incas Home Page |
Center For Traditional Textiles of Cusco |