I purchased these woven wool pieces a number of years ago at the incredible estate sale of artist, gallerist and collector Cynthia Numark Prelack, whose Iguana gallery on Newbury Street in Boston focused on work of Haitian artists, but who also travelled and collected widely in Central and South America. (There are not sales like that anymore and I often wish I could be back in her brownstone; I would have bought a whole lot more now!) Anyway, I'm starting to do some digging out of old boxes of things and found these. I am not certain of their age, but I am pretty certain Peruvian, woven in the traditional manner on a backstrap loom of hand-spun, hand-dyed alpaca wool. Two long and narrow pieces (one a full length sash/belt, or faja; the other shorter and with loose threads at one end), and one wider piece with birds integrated into the pattern. My guess is 20th century, but I am no expert; for me, the manner of weaving and the patterns are quite beautiful and I just love looking at them.
Thinner sash: 24" l x 1 1/16" w not including fringe. Wider sash: 37 1/2" l x 1 3/8" w not including fringe. Rectangular: 7 1/2" x 5 5/8". Good condition, color rich, weave tight. Unfinished ends as evident and edge loss here and there, all as pictured.
