Ccahua Ponchito Man’s Ceremonial Garment, Southern Altiplano, 18th C. Alpaca warp and weft. Once closed as a tunic and later opened to conform with the laws of 1780. Worn by the shamans and laycas of the Quillaca Aymara during the festivals of the Corpus and Todos Santos. These religious practitioners were adept at the divination of llama excrement, coca leaves, and corn kernels. The garment displays a center ground composed of alternating narrow red cochineal and dark indigo stripes with wide lateral bands composed of pink cochineal alternating stripes of fifteen right spun and fifteen left spun lloq’e yarns. This classic ccahua ponchito is one of the archetypal stripe design layouts of the Aymara. Size: 2'7'' x 4'5'', 79 x 135 cm (open).

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