From fig leaves to animal pelts, textiles have evolved to warm, enhance, and adorn the human form. The weaver’s craft shown in this cabinet also extends to other fibers used in decorative and functional ways.
Unknown Quechua Maker
Peru
Loom, 20th century
Wood, fiber, 23 1/4 x 17 3/4 inches
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Russell J. Seibert
In the Andes, traditional Quechua weaving uses the backstrap loom, the oldest form of loom in the world. An entirely non-mechanized instrument, it is constructed using wood, bone, and strings. It is easily portable from home to field, wrapped inside the lliqlla or manta (carrying shawl) that every woman traditionally wears.
![29 Hat [Montera]](https://exhibitions.lib.udel.edu/collectors-cabinet/wp-content/uploads/sites/234/2021/02/029.jpg "29 Hat [Montera]")
Unknown Quechua Artist
Cuzco/Cusco, Peru
Hat [Montera], early 20th century
Wool, appliqué, 15 3/4 inches diameter
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Russell J. Seibert
Montera is a Quechua word for a traditional hat, which varies in style depending upon the region. This hat sits squarely on the top of the head and would traditionally be secured under the chin with ties of white beads. In more contemporary examples such as this one, commercially produced trims or braiding are used. The base fiber used in this Montera is dyed alpaca wool. This hat is from the city of Cuzco (now Cusco). It was the historic capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th century until the 16th-century Spanish conquest.
Unknown Vai Artist
Liberia, Africa
Strip Cloth Textile, 20th century
Cotton, 120 x 41 inches
Gift of Mrs. Rose Joseph
This is an example of Liberian strip weaving. The weaver joined the strips to create abstract patterns. The dyes used were likely kaolin clay for the white, charcoal or black clay, and red from Camwood or madder. Inconsistencies, in the black strips in particular, reflect the differences in how the cloth accepts the dye, or how long the fibers might have been in the dyeing pit. In the red areas, both woven and embroidered threads are seen in the pattern.
Unknown Huancayo Maker
Peru
Child’s Manta, 1970s
Wool, embroidery; 20 1/4 inches x 14 1/4 inches
Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Russell J. Seibert
A manta originally was worn only during ceremonial events in the Huancayo Highlands of Peru. Now the term covers all poncho-like garments. This manta is unusual, as it was made for a child. The distinctive embroidery for such mantas traditionally was sewn by men. In this case, it is quite minimal compared to others of the same era, in which the entire surface is covered with multicolored floral and foliate designs.
Unknown Vai Artist
Liberia, Africa
Strip Cloth Textile, 20th century
Cotton, 74 x 48 inches
Gift of Mrs. Rose Joseph
Traditionally, Liberian country cloth is handspun, hand-dyed, and hand-woven cotton. It is usually woven in about four-inch-wide strips, which are then sewn together. A bolt of the fabric normally measures thirty-six yards long. In this textile, the cloth is dyed dark brown, with yellow accents depicting spools and heddle pulleys used in the weaving and manufacturing process of the cloth. Both decorative and narrative, this example speaks of the weaver’s craft. Natural dyes like kola nuts for the brown and dyes from the Morinda brimstone tree would have been used for the golden yellow, although saffron dye was sometimes substituted.
