Decorated fabric

During the Colonial period and the beginnings of the Republic, the city of Chachapoyas –located at the high jungle in northern Peru– was an important production centre for plain cotton cloth, much sought after for its use as sails for ships. But this modest material also represented the basis of one of the most typical handcrafts of the region. It concerns the “painted tocuyos of Chachapoyas”, decorative fabrics worked in a technique that appears to have its origin in jungle tradition. By applying the colors directly to the cotton cloth, numerous craftsmen produced a variety of different objects, amongst them devotional canvases, rugs, veils and curtains. Unfortunately, few of these pieces have been preserved. Most Chachapoyas textiles are large Lenten curtains depicting the Crucifixion and symbols of the Passion. This rare piece is the only one of its type, and although it resembles an altar frontal, the absence of religious iconography suggests that it might have served as a decorative hanging. (RK)