Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez,
Published in cooperation with the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco
2007
A richly illustrated look at Andean weaving, which embodies the living history and culture of the Peruvian highlands, this guide extensively catalogs many of the intricate patterns found in traditional Peruvian textiles. Exploring the personal histories of the Quechua people who sustain this tradition, it examines how they weave extraordinary amounts of cloth on simple backstrap looms—just as their forebears have done for thousands of years—to make clothing, rugs, bedcovers, potato sacks, hunting slings, and sacrificial fabrics for both their villages and for interested tourists. How pattern names such as Meandering River or Lake with Flowers relate to the geography and history of the region is also discussed, as is how the traditional natural materials and colors enhance the value of the work.
Trade Paperback, $19.95
ISBN: 978-1-59668-055-5
Available at Powells, ClothRoads, Amazon, Search, Booktopia, and at your favorite book shop.
Also available for Kindle, Nook, and in other digital formats.
Distributed to the book and library trade by Independent Publishers Group
REVIEWS & PRESS
Author receives 2014 Hero Award from Alliance For Artisan Enterprise
from Library Journal
“Callañaupa Alvarez is the founder of the Center for Traditional Textiles, a combination school, gallery, and museum in Cusco, Peru (also the beneficiary of all sales of this book). Here, she writes from the unique perspective of a textile expert who has retained the traditions and knowledge of her native country’s art. Strikingly beautiful photos of traditional costumes combine with personal information on Andean weavers and the tradition that produced them. The armchair traveler, who might never otherwise visit Peru’s remote weaving centers, will be amazed at the variety of designs that makes it possible for a knowledgeable observer to identify peoples’ native villages by the style of their woven and knitted attire. An excellent choice for ethnic textile collections in academic and large public libraries.”
from The Textile Research Centre’s Book Showcase
” . . . This is a deceptively simple book, written by a master weaver who began by herding her family’s sheep when she was six years old. Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez is also the founder and director of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, Peru, which works to preserve and promote the textile traditions of the Peruvian Highlands. She accomplishes both of these aims in this book. . . .”
