HISTORY OF THE TEXTILE ART IN PERU

The production of fine textiles has been a continuing facet of Andean cultures for the last three millennia and continues to play an important role in Andean societies today. Clothing that many indigenous peoples wear can identify their town of origin. The social status of the wearer, along with gender, age, wealth, power and ethnicity is reflected in colors, fabrics and designs.

The cultural diversity of today's Peru is the result of historical vicissitudes, overlapping cultures, population movements and the establishment of states and empires. However, all these factors were conditioned by the country's rich ecological layers (coast, mountains, jungle) and their integration and, accordingly, by its variety and abundance of natural resources.

When the Spaniards informed the Old World of the existence of these territories, the images that were progressively shaped alluded to a Paradise. If it had ever existed anywhere on the planet, it was Peru. These dreams and ideals were further enhanced by the reality of fabulous wealth following the discovery and exploitation of the Potosi mines. Indeed, such was the development and economic dependence of the Spanish monarchy on Peru that the post of Viceroy was considered the peak of the career and prestige of nobles and senior officials.

However, the cultural and, therefore, artistic development that took place during the vice regal period would not have been possible without the existence of a powerful pre-Hispanic cultural tradition. What is more, its originality and aesthetic interest stems precisely from this syncretism, a factor that is increasingly appreciated and leaves its mark on artistic manifestations.

Indeed, the advent and establishment of the Viceroyalty of Peru or of New Castile did not signify a break with the past. Although Castilian Spanish became the administrative language, Quechua continued to be the lingua franca as it was during the Inca Empire and only over the centuries did Spanish become a widespread means of communication. This respect for native languages has led to their survival to this day. And the same is true of other significant aspects of earlier cultures. Cities such as Cuzco were transformed but preserved their importance. Others were newly founded (Lima, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Trujillo) but based on Inca communication systems which were adapted with infrastructures more in keeping with the new circumstances.

As for artistic expression, owing to the high standards achieved in ceramics, textiles, metalwork and woodcarving, among other crafts, the only adaptations involved incorporating new iconographic themes. Inca keros began to display European decorative motifs, but preserved their form. The same occurred in ceramics, in which only a few technological innovations such as potters' wheels and glazing were introduced. In metalwork, it is difficult to improve on the detail and quality of the lost-wax casts and hammer work employed to make neck- lace beads, tupus or brooches and complete outfits that were known during the vice regal period and have risen in estimation with the archaeological discoveries, the most important being the Sipan Tombs, which illustrate the full range of possibilities of precious metalwork. It is scarcely fifteen years since they were unearthed (1987) by archeologist WaIter Alva and even less since their contents were placed on display, as the Museo de las Tumbas Reales de Sipán in Lambayeque was opened in 2002.