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Textiles of Ancient Peru and Their Techniques
This magnificently illustrated work offers a comprehensive view of the textiles and techniques of pre-Columbian Peru. An introduction discusses yarns, dyes, looms, and raw materials; the first of the two-part text examines weaves, and the second considers such nonwoven materials as braiding, felt, and embroidery.
- GenresNonfiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 2002
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April 26, 2014
I have owned this book for a very long time and often looked through the many plate illustrations for ideas and inspiration, but I don't think I ever really read through the admittedly sometimes very technical text.
Why now? I've been back to my Bauhaus explorations and in particular the work of Josef and Anni Albers; Anni admired these weavers immensely. Their tools were simple, but their methods and results quite complex. One single plaiting repeat d'Harcourt describes consisted of 156 movements per cycle and involved 38 different strands of yarn. These weavers did not have written instructions to refer to; their minds and hands held the patterns. Wow.
An especially wonderful discovery for me was the large role of embroidery in many of the colorful works I love. Often what looks like weaving is wool embroidery over plain cotton weaving that covers both warp and weft (Peruvian weavers incorporated almost all their techniques interchangeably between warp and weft). And they did not knit at all; all the seemingly knitted patterns are created through looped embroidery. Fascinating. I'm experimenting with these stitches, although even with the illustrations provided it took me awhile to get the hang of the "knitted" stitches.
The author not only describes in words and technical drawings the ways these artists created their textiles, but provides number references to the plates that show the finished products of each technique.
Thanks to Anni Albers for leading me below the surface of these beautiful ancient fabrics. There is always more to see, and of course, always always more to learn and incorporate into your own creations and life.
Why now? I've been back to my Bauhaus explorations and in particular the work of Josef and Anni Albers; Anni admired these weavers immensely. Their tools were simple, but their methods and results quite complex. One single plaiting repeat d'Harcourt describes consisted of 156 movements per cycle and involved 38 different strands of yarn. These weavers did not have written instructions to refer to; their minds and hands held the patterns. Wow.
An especially wonderful discovery for me was the large role of embroidery in many of the colorful works I love. Often what looks like weaving is wool embroidery over plain cotton weaving that covers both warp and weft (Peruvian weavers incorporated almost all their techniques interchangeably between warp and weft). And they did not knit at all; all the seemingly knitted patterns are created through looped embroidery. Fascinating. I'm experimenting with these stitches, although even with the illustrations provided it took me awhile to get the hang of the "knitted" stitches.
The author not only describes in words and technical drawings the ways these artists created their textiles, but provides number references to the plates that show the finished products of each technique.
Thanks to Anni Albers for leading me below the surface of these beautiful ancient fabrics. There is always more to see, and of course, always always more to learn and incorporate into your own creations and life.
Displaying 1 of 1 review