Shawl.

Cuenca, Ecuador. Second half of the 20th century.

Garment woven on a backstrap loom, warp face, with settled cotton yarn. Measurements. Length: 150 cm / 59 in. Width: 60 cm / 23.62 in.

Its unique field is completely decorated by ikat guards or tied guards (with knots made with the fiber of the cabuya or American agave), triple dyed with vegetable dyes. This staining technique has been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ecuador and the most famous textile center of these shawls -called "macanas" or gualaceños cloths- is located precisely in the town of Gualaceo, south of the city of Cuenca. A distinctive garment of Cuenca women and among the peasant women of this region, the macanas or cloths convey symbols of pre-Columbian tradition and even the colors contain messages.

Typical in the best garments, the edges are finished by knots and structural fringe of the warp threads. The tips of the fringes show the lack of staining due to the tie of the threads before being dipped in the dye. S.E.H.IX-DEM