Customer Reviews

Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands

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This is a marvelous contribution to understanding the beauty and cultural importance of traditional weaving in the Andean heart of the Incan empire. The author, whose Center for Traditional Textiles in Cuzco, just opened (2007) as a museum, market, and center of learning and research,
is superbly qualified, as the expert who is illuminating her own traditions. She has produced a stunning, accessible and fascinating work which should appeal to weavers everywhere and to anyone who is traveling to the area, or armchair travelers who wish to learn more about the vibrant traditions of the Andes. Highly recommended for artists, weavers, and travelers.

Having traveled with Nilda to meet the weavers and observe the weaving process in most of the villages featured in the book , I can attest that the stunning color reproductions (kudos to the publisher for the choice of so many wonderful examples and for selecting a outstanding printer!) in the book accurately represent the superb work still being done under the direction of the Center for Traditional Textiles Cusco. If you are looking for "visual understanding and aesthetic appreciation" of the best of Peruvian textile weaving today, this is the book to buy! And the economical text thoughtfully complements the numerous illustrations.

Eric Waples

Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez is a Quechua weaver and scholar. She was born in Chinchero, a village in the southern highlands of Peru, was educated in the United States and in Cusco, and is the founder of Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco.

"We started the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco in l996 to explore which Andean weaving traditions still exist today, how we might educate people in our culture to value and continue the Inca heritage, and how we , as a group of concerned individuals, might aid villages and families in this process.

"In the Andes we depend mainly on farming to provide food for our families,but it brings little income. Like those who came before us, we still honor the earth and continue practices adapted to difficult conditions of high altitude, steep slopes and unpredictable weather. But we can no longer depend on the agricultural systems of land planning and food store-housing put in place by our Inca ancestors to assure that everyone received enough to eat in bad years. Those systems were destroyed during colonial times. Families today must find ways to supplement their income to meet their daily needs.

"The work of the Center is not just to preserve and to study Peruvian textiles, their symbolism and significance, etc. Our goal also is to assist families to create a larger market for their textiles and a new economy for their communities."

The works of art are beautifully reproduced in this well printed book, and the text explains much of the history and the meanings of the patterns. On a recent visit to the Center, we saw many beautiful pieces, quite different from the acrylic tourist belts and purses on offer everywhere.

The book also explains some of the many difficulties using natural materials -- lack of firewood, scarcity of some plants, even practical problems -- a soft boiled egg takes either eight or nine minutes of cooking because of the high altitudes around Cusco.

The book and the Center make an important statement about preserving these ancient weaving techniques. The resulting works are a feast for the eye and for the mind.

Robert C. Ross 2008

I admire textiles and have accumulated a lot of them over the years. Peru is a textile lovers paradise, especially Cuzco and more remote places like Chinchero, where you can visit the shops (usually courtyards) and homes (around the courtyards) of native weavers and you can talk with them about their wares. I bought my copy of this book in the author's store in Cuzco, the "Center for Traditional Textiles." The shop is one of the most expensive in Cuzco, but also it has the best inventory of high quality artisan weavings to be found in Cuzco, or Lima, or anywhere else I've seen in Peru. The store is a high class affair, set up as a "museum" with native weavers on the premises to demonstrate their techniques, and there are museum displays of weaving history around Cuzco, weaving techniques and apparatus, native clothing and so forth. The store has an obvious passion for informing customers about the craft. Each fabric sold in the store has the name and photograph of the weaver attached to it, and an identification of the pueblo where the item originated. The idea is to give the customer an appreciation of the piece, where it came from, and to personalize it with the face of the person who made it. This book in an extension of that same philosopy, to personalize it, except the book has 112 pages and lots of beautiful photographs to expand the idea in full detail. I wish I had bought the book before going to Peru the first time, as it would have made me more knowledgeable and appreciative of these particular textiles when I arrived. The book is not too technical. It does not dwell on weaving patterns or details of techniques, nor does it present a comprehensive history of Andean woven art. It is not a "how to" book that teaches anyone how to weave but, to the contrary, it provides a good overview of the vast variety textiles to be found in the markets around Peru (especially Cuzco), and it identifies the patterns or designs likely to be encountered with their traditional place of origin. I liked the book and I'm buying another copy for a friend who's going to Peru later this year. She's an intellectual who adores textiles and wouldn't dream of going there without doing her homework first. This book is perfect for her, informative, visually stunning, with a clear philosophical point of view, but not too long nor too detailed. I recommend the book for anyone going to Peru who is interested in artisan weaving, and who wants more information to better appreciate the craft when they see it. It is a good effort and easily worth the price.

I found this book fascinating, and believe it should belong in every spinner's and weaver's library. It showcases an extraordinary woman, and the great efforts being put forth to preserve the ancient art of producing the fiber, dyeing and weaving it in harsh conditions with no modern conveniences, but producing the highest possible quality product as an end result. I had the great honor of studying both the weaving of simple tapes, as they would teach a child in beginning weaving, and the knitting of their traditional caps, from the author, when she was in the United States on a teaching tour last fall. I wanted more. The book provides a basis of the history, and a basis from which to study... I hope she will write another, more lengthy book, and told her so. I believe Nilda has much to teach us, about some methods of weaving (warp faced fabric, for one) that are nearly ignored by much of the weaving world. I highly recommend this book, and hope we will see more books on ancient weaving methods from Central and South America, and other parts of the world, available for our education and enjoyment, soon. It's much overdue!

Excellent!!! The history of these beautiful weavings is told in simple but vivid words, the colors are outstanding and the designs are quite interesting. I highly recommend this book. Nilda's journey is inspirational.

As an art student, lost and confused, I went to a country that never prevailed to mystify me with their colors and traditions. I had many questions about the functions, designs, and traditions of the fabric of Peru, and this beautiful and well done book answered my questions. In fact I nearly cried when I saw this book at the Lima airport. It will keep my memories of this beautiful place as solid as ever.

p.s.
check out my photos of Peru. I'd love to share the culture with as many people as possible.

http://peru.sarahfeldman.net

The pictures and text in this book are wonderful! First, it's a visual delight and when I went back to read the text, the background on weaving is thorough and very interesting. I highly recommend it!