28
R. Amarilla et al.
industrially manufactured—typology. However, it is still very close to its roots.
The poncho is considered a “second skin”, and it is associated with freedom and
simplicity. In Ruth Corcuera’s words [5: 163], “In a world where the great urban
conglomerates dominate with all their tensions, this garment is associated with the
image of freedom and space—an association that perhaps, subconsciously, renders
it especially attractive”.
This handcrafted textile is made up of weft and warp threads. Two or more threads
are interwoven over a frame called loom. The poncho has a rectangular shape, with
varying dimensions depending on both the desired garment size and the loom size—
reason why it can be woven in one or in several pieces. The finished garment has
a central opening for the head and covers (mostly) the (upper) body. While the
fibres used to weave it vary based on geographical location, its rectangular shape
remains unchanged. These fibres are varied, from animal wool or plants, and different
thicknesses. In the north of Argentina, for instance, ponchos are made of linen, silk
and cotton. The most popular ponchos are woven from vicuña, llama or ship wool.
Men and women have different roles, depending on the area. However, in the Andean
world, there are also male weavers, and shearing activities are jointly performed by
men and women.
As explained above, the poncho is a garment with deep symbolic character, highly
representative of the regional cultural heritage despite its changes over the years. First,
it was worn by the indigenous communities of this region. Moreover, in ancient times,
woven ponchos were characterised by stripes, drawings, lines, patterns or colours
representative and distinctive of a given community. In the same community, families
were recognised, and even distinguished, by the motifs on their ponchos. As with
fibres, which represent far more than different regions, the poncho material helped
identify social status, e.g. the vicuña poncho was only worn by the Inca and his
family.
It is a versatile garment that offers free movement while keeping the person warm,
or covered, depending on material and weaving, leaving the arms free, e.g. to perform
farm and cattle-related activities. For this reason, it was widely used by the gaucho
and, when the Europeans arrived and settled in this region, they embraced the poncho
as a comfortable, loose garment, characteristic of these lands and its promising future.
2.3 The Vicuña, A Sacred Animal
The colonisation of America chronicles shows that there was a widespread belief that
all wild camelids belonged to the Sun. They were considered supernatural, sacred
beings which belonged to the deities, and only the son of the Sun and his family
were allowed to wear garments made from these animals. The Inca—the son of the
Sun—authorised his relatives, or most loyal chiefs, to wear these clothes. The Inca
clothes were burnt after being worn by him, so that nobody else could wear them,
unless the Inca decided otherwise [3, 4].
R. Amarilla et al.
industrially manufactured—typology. However, it is still very close to its roots.
The poncho is considered a “second skin”, and it is associated with freedom and
simplicity. In Ruth Corcuera’s words [5: 163], “In a world where the great urban
conglomerates dominate with all their tensions, this garment is associated with the
image of freedom and space—an association that perhaps, subconsciously, renders
it especially attractive”.
This handcrafted textile is made up of weft and warp threads. Two or more threads
are interwoven over a frame called loom. The poncho has a rectangular shape, with
varying dimensions depending on both the desired garment size and the loom size—
reason why it can be woven in one or in several pieces. The finished garment has
a central opening for the head and covers (mostly) the (upper) body. While the
fibres used to weave it vary based on geographical location, its rectangular shape
remains unchanged. These fibres are varied, from animal wool or plants, and different
thicknesses. In the north of Argentina, for instance, ponchos are made of linen, silk
and cotton. The most popular ponchos are woven from vicuña, llama or ship wool.
Men and women have different roles, depending on the area. However, in the Andean
world, there are also male weavers, and shearing activities are jointly performed by
men and women.
As explained above, the poncho is a garment with deep symbolic character, highly
representative of the regional cultural heritage despite its changes over the years. First,
it was worn by the indigenous communities of this region. Moreover, in ancient times,
woven ponchos were characterised by stripes, drawings, lines, patterns or colours
representative and distinctive of a given community. In the same community, families
were recognised, and even distinguished, by the motifs on their ponchos. As with
fibres, which represent far more than different regions, the poncho material helped
identify social status, e.g. the vicuña poncho was only worn by the Inca and his
family.
It is a versatile garment that offers free movement while keeping the person warm,
or covered, depending on material and weaving, leaving the arms free, e.g. to perform
farm and cattle-related activities. For this reason, it was widely used by the gaucho
and, when the Europeans arrived and settled in this region, they embraced the poncho
as a comfortable, loose garment, characteristic of these lands and its promising future.
2.3 The Vicuña, A Sacred Animal
The colonisation of America chronicles shows that there was a widespread belief that
all wild camelids belonged to the Sun. They were considered supernatural, sacred
beings which belonged to the deities, and only the son of the Sun and his family
were allowed to wear garments made from these animals. The Inca—the son of the
Sun—authorised his relatives, or most loyal chiefs, to wear these clothes. The Inca
clothes were burnt after being worn by him, so that nobody else could wear them,
unless the Inca decided otherwise [3, 4].