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| Background |
ETHNOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Ethnological materials date from A.D. 1533 to 1900. Two broad categories are encompassed in the sections below. Sections I to VI describe artifacts that reflect Pre-Columbian traditions and are considered religious in nature or are critically linked to indigenous identity and ancestral use and/or manufacture. Section VII encompasses artifacts produced for use in Catholic religious observance. Some of these items may occur in archaeological contexts.
I. Colonial and Republican Masks (A.D. 1533 - 1900)
These masks are constructed of wood, leather or skins, silver, tin, cloth,
glass beads, oil painted plaster, fur, feathers, or some combination of
these materials, with the intent of exaggerating the facial features,
particularly the eyes and mouth, of the personage or animal in the dance.
Common themes include the devil with horns, old men (Awki), African
faces (Moreno), blonde haired/blue eyed men with bullet holes in
their foreheads (Chunchus), angels, heroines (China Supay),
and animals. Size varies according to the mask. Some are as small as 40
cm. or as large as 170 cm.
All masks produced until 1900 that are associated with the Christian or indigenous dance rituals of the Colonial and Republican Periods are included. These include but are not limited to masks of the following dances: Dance of La Diablada; Dance of La Morenada; Dance of Kullawada; Dance of La Llamerada; Dance of the Chunchus; Chutas Dance; Kusillos Dance; Chiriguano Dance; Dance of the Inca; Dance of the Chunchos; Dance of the Achus; Dance of St. Ignatius of Moxos; Dance of the Little Angels; Moors and Christians Dance; Dance of the Sun and the Moon; Dance of the Little Bull; Dance of the Jucumari; Chiriguano Ritual; Dance of the Auqui Auqui; Dancer Ritual; Dance of the Misti'I Siku; Dance of the Little Bull; Dance of the Tundiquis; Dance of the Paqochis.
II. Colonial and Republican Wood Objects (A.D. 1533
- 1900)
Objects in wood that relate to indigenous ceremonial activities. These
include:
A. Drinking vessels (kero, keru, q'ero): These are vase-shaped
beakers, about 15 cm. in height. During the Colonial Period, these wooden
cups were polychrome painted with elaborate scenes and designs.
B. Scepter (Bastón de mando): Wooden staff made of palm
wood and encased in silver with semi-precious stones. Size varies from
45 - 120 cm.
C. Ceremonial vessels (challador cups/vases): The interiors of
these vessels are segmented into compartments. Size ranges between 10
- 35 cm.
D. Bow: Constructed with wood, feathers, and other animal and vegetal
fibers. Used for ritual purposes by the Araona Culture of the Tropical
Lowlands. Size ranges from 120 cm. to 210 cm.
E. Tobacco pipe: Straight tubular shape, without a bowl, used by Tropical
Lowland Cultures in religious ceremonies. Often, an X is painted as a
clan symbol on one end of the tube. Size ranges from 10 cm. to 15 cm.
III. Colonial and Republican Musical Instruments
(A.D. 1533 - 1900)
Musical instruments created for and used in indigenous ceremonies. These
include:
A. Charango: Stringed instrument, similar to a mandolin or ukelele, manufactured
of wood. The bowl of the instrument is sometimes decorated with animal
pelts. About 50 cm. in length.
B. Drum (Sancuti bombo, Wankara bombo, muyu muyu, q'aras): Vary
in size and shape. Generally the box is cylindrical and made of wood or
tree bark with skins stretched over the frame to form the heads. Size
ranges from 30 cm. to 60 cm.
C. Flutes:
1. Flute (rollano, chaxes, lawatos): Made of hollowed wood with
leather strips. These flutes are characterized by six holes. Size ranges
from 40 cm. to 100 cm.
2. Flute (chutu pinquillo): Made of uncut flamingo bone with six
holes. Size ranges from 25 cm. to 35 cm.
3. Flute (pifano): Made of bato bone. Size varies.
4. Flute (jantarco, sicus): Made of wood with flower designs engraved
on the surface. Diamond shaped in cross-section. Size varies from 10 cm.
to 35 cm.
D. Harp: Stringed instrument made of wood and animal skin. It contains
30 strings. Size ranges from 80 cm. to 150 cm.
E. Mandolin: Constructed of wood and often inlaid with shell. Size varies.
F. Whistle (ocarina, willusco): Small, hand-held whistle made of
wood, 7 cm. Willusco is small, disk shaped whistle with design
engraved on surface, 3 cm. to 7 cm.
G. Panpipe (bajón): Made of leaves formed into tubes, attached
to each other with cotton thread. Characterized by 10 tubes. Size ranges
from 120 cm. to 180 cm.
H. Violin (tacuara): Made of wood. Size ranges from 40 cm. to 50
cm.
IV. Colonial and Republican Textiles (A.D. 1533
- 1900)
Textiles woven by indigenous peoples for ceremonial or ritual use:
A. Indigenous Highland Traditions:
1. Poncho (balandran, ponchito, choni, khawa, challapata): Square
or rectangular overgarment worn by men usually consisting of two pieces
of hand-woven cloth sewn together, with a slit in the center for the head.
May be dyed with natural or synthetic dyes in all colors. Plain or striped.
Often woven from alpaca or other camelid fibers. Some with tassels. Average
size is 80 cm. x 100 cm.
2. Dress (almilla/urku/aksu): The almilla is the dress adopted
by indigenous women in the sixteenth century tailored from hand-woven
wool cloth (bayeta). It consists of a gathered skirt attached to
a fitted bodice. The urku is a pleated or gathered skirt characterized
by a bold stripe pattern arranged horizontally. The aksu is a women's
ceremonial dress woven from camelid fiber and constructed from a rectangular,
two-piece cloth that is wrapped around the body and tied at the waist.
May be dyed with natural or synthetic dyes in all colors. Average size
is one square meter.
3. Mantle/shawl (axsu, tsoc urjcu, tscoc irs, medio axsu, llacota,
isallo, awayo, llixlla, iscayo, phullu, talo unkhuña, ñañaqa):
Square or rectangular garment composed of two pieces of cloth sewn together.
May be dyed with natural or synthetic dyes in all colors. Plain or striped.
Often woven from alpaca or other camelid fibers. Designs are typically
stripes arranged across the cloth in a vertical or horizontal pattern
or confined to the margins of one side of the garment. Average size is
one square meter.
4. Tunic (unku, ira, ccahua): Man's ceremonial vestment constructed
from one piece of cloth which is folded in half and sewn up the sides,
leaving openings for the arms at the top and an opening in the middle
for the head. Designs are typically found in the hip, sleeve, and neck
areas, but there are more elaborate examples where stripes cover the entire
garment, some with silver thread. May be dyed with natural or synthetic
dyes in all colors. Usually made from camelid wool, especially alpaca.
Average size is 135 cm. x 92 cm.
5. Bag (chuspa, alforja, kapachos, huayacas): Carried by both men
and women; woven from cotton or camelid fibers in a variety of widths,
lengths, and colors. Found in either a solid color or simple polychrome
stripe pattern arrangement with geometric motifs. These bags are usually
square (20 cm.) or rectangular with a woven carrying strap. They often
contain small pockets on the pouch exterior and are decorated with tassels.
6. Belt (w'aka, tsayi, chumpi, wincha, t'isnu): Worn by both men
and women; woven from cotton or camelid fibers in a variety of widths,
lengths, and colors. Found in either a solid color or simple polychrome
geometric design.
7. Scarf /muffler: Worn by both men and women; woven from camelid fibers
or sheep's wool with natural dyes in a variety of widths, lengths, and
colors. Consists of one rectangular piece. Approximately 50 cm. in length.
8. Hat: Caps (10 square cm.) worn by men and nañacas worn by women
that range in size between 10 square cm. and one square meter. Both are
woven from camelid fibers and silk, and dyed with natural pigments in
red, blue, green, orange, yellow, tan, brown, black, purple, or a combination
of colors. When present, designs are geometric or depict highly stylized
animals such as llama and other camelids.
9. Sling (wichi wichis, qorawas): Rectangular band of cloth (25
cm. x 10 cm.); long ends taper to a loop where ropes are attached to either
side.
10. Cloth: Square, rectangular, or fragmentary cloth woven from fine camelid
fibers, silk, and/or silver and gold threads, or constructed from soft
tree bark or other natural fiber, and dyed with natural pigments in red,
blue, green, orange, yellow, tan, brown, black, purple, or combination
of colors. Some examples are striped in a vertical or horizontal pattern.
Average size ranges between six square centimeters and six square meters.
Cloth may be fragmentary, folded flat, or bundled (q'epi) for use
in ritual ceremonies. Woman's ritual cloth, called icuña, tari,
or ñañaca, is also included in this category.
B. Indigenous Lowland Traditions (A.D. 1533 - 1900):
1. Long shirt (camijeta/ tipois): Tunic-like vestment made of cotton
or vegetal material such as bark. Tassels often attached to lower edge.
Size is 133 cm. long x 71 cm. wide.
2. Woman's Two Piece Vestment (tsotomo and noca): Long,
straight skirt (noca) and separate bodice (tsotomo) made
of cotton or vegetal material such as bark. Noca size is 50 cm. long x
40 cm. wide; Tsotomo size is 11.5 cm. deep x 35 cm. long.
3. Cloth: Square, rectangular, or fragmentary cloth woven from cotton,
or constructed from soft tree bark or other natural fiber, and dyed with
natural pigments in red, blue, green, orange, yellow, tan, brown, black,
purple, or combination of colors. Some examples are striped in a vertical
or horizontal pattern. Average size ranges between six square centimeters
and six square meters. Cloth may be fragmentary, folded flat, or bundled
(q'epi) for use in ritual ceremonies.