The Rapáz Khipu

Located at over 4,000 meters above sea level in the highlands of Lima, the town of Rapáz is home to a group of khipus joined together in the form of a conglomeration, consisting of over two hundred specimens that are kept inside the Kaha Wayi, or “[community] house/box.” There, ceremonies are performed to consult with the mountains, the owners of the rains, during which community members pay their “compliments” to the cordillera, and converse confidentially about the status of communal agricultural and shepherding activities. The great khipu of Rapáz, which dates back to the nineteenth century, includes fragments of untanned leather, wool tufts and pompoms, and textile figurines depicting famous individuals from Peru’s campaign for independence, during which the Oyón region played a part in the liberating army’s tactical movements.