In the chapter Cloth, Textile, and The Inca Empire from the Peru Reader, John Murra discusses the importance of cotton and wool textiles to the Indigenous peoples of the Andes, ranging from aspects such as ceremonial use, burials, status symbols, economics, and systems of reciprocity. It is very evident through Murra descriptions that textiles functioned in ways beyond just clothing articles, and were of great importance in the Incan lifestyle.
We have even seen examples of these textiles, such as the large red burial tapestry discussed during our trip to Larco Museum. Murra even describes how 320 square yards of agricultural land would be needed to make all of the new fabric needed for one burial. This time and effort really highlights how significant cotton textiles were in multiple facets of Incan lifestyles.
Before traveling to Peru, I read many tourist travel articles praising their purchasing experience of mantas as souvenirs. Many guides suggest “hacks”, such as avoiding ponchos in high tourist areas, as oftentimes the material is disguised as wool- but contains polyester blends. Arriving in Cusco, I walked past many shops in the plaza, all filled with an array of colours and styles of woven textiles. I couldn’t help but notice, however, how all of these textiles did not share much resemblance with the one preserved in Larco Museum.
Upon reading Murra’s article, I began wondering at what point these sacred textiles- so monumental in more ways than one- transitioned into a gimmicky tourist piece. In line with our conversation in class, what really is an “authentic” textile? Although the history of the relationships between textiles after colonial contact is still unknown to me, I think perhaps this may have been a result of the colonial concept of monetary value clashing with Indigenous peoples ideas of worth.
When considering what is authentic, I think it depends on whose definition you are going by. For some, simply buying a souvenir in another country makes it authentic. Others, authenticity lies in the purity of the fabric. For me, I think authenticity lies in intention. I think the capitalist values imposed on Indigenous art forms lack authenticity due to their almost insincerity to the craft. However, the ways in which the concept of authenticity and tourism has come to surround textiles in Peru is still unfamiliar to me.
2 replies on “Blog Post #2: Textiles, Tourism, and Authenticity”
This is a great post; I really liked your take on it. I have grappled with the same questions, what is authentic and what is not when it comes to textiles. I know this area rivalled much of the world at the time regarding weaving and other techniques used when making textiles. Many of the patterns found can not be replicated today, and even computer-guided textile machines can not reproduce the intricacies of their patterns. Unfortunately, through colonial conquest, these techniques were lost along the way. I hope that some of them, though, can be relearned or re-remembered.
“…I think perhaps this may have been a result of the colonial concept of monetary value clashing with Indigenous peoples ideas of worth.”I think you have begun to break down the problem by identifying two different concepts: worth and value. After the visit to the school we have obtained some more elements to understand the tension that exists between these two concepts. (What’s more, it seems that at least in certain communities pre-Hispanic patterns have been preserved and therefore can be reproduced). Perhaps the transition between the two is an adaptation strategy?