AN ANCESTRAL TRADITION

Unku. Ulla Ulla, Bolivia. First half of the 20th century.

Garment woven on a floor loom, with the warp face technique of four edges in a single cloth, respecting the opening for the head, in the center of both axes, through the use of discontinuous wefts during weaving. The yarn used is handmade, made of alpaca fiber dyed with indigo for the blues and cochineal for the reds, while its ornamental design -characteristic of this ethnic bias- has been obtained through ikat, or tied guard, or weaving in reserve by mooring, according to the different denominations to refer to the technique of tying with thread or vegetable fibers the areas that are to be preserved “in negative”, before immersing the structure (already warped but not yet woven) in the dye bath. Such ties are loosened as the weaving progresses; This is how they do it in this area: “In Ulla Ulla and in the surrounding communities, the technique known as watado in Quechua (ikat) is characteristic”. (1) Measurements. Length: 96 cm. Width: 84cm.

To assemble the garment, the edges have been joined with an ornamental seam with the same threads used to weave the field, in a recurring sequence, leaving space to pass the arms, resulting in a garment similar to a sleeveless shirt.

The unku is considered the ancestor of the poncho and has lived with it for many years. In the case of this ethnic group, they were conceived to be girdled at the waist with a girdle. “They were woven with several lists that crossed it from top to bottom, of various colors and work, which generally did not exceed the number of five. They were from cumbi (...)” (2), affirm the specialists cited to indicate that their weavers were the most renowned in each community.

Notes:

1. Gisbert, Teresa-Arce, Silvia – Cajías, Martha: Textiles in the Bolivian Andes. Ed. Bolivian Photo Agency / Quipus Cultural Foundation, La Paz, Bolivia, 2003, p. 214.