Using a simple backstrap loom and centuries-old techniques, Bolivian families weave mantas—beautiful woolen textiles in geometric patterns. Common among …
Using a simple backstrap loom and centuries-old techniques, Bolivian families weave mantas—beautiful woolen textiles in geometric patterns. Common among pre-Inca and pre-conquest cultures such as the Aymara, some of the earliest mantas found in textile museum's collections date from 1400 A.D. Warm and durable, they are used as sli gns to carry infants and blankets for bedding. It can also be worn either on the back, like a cape, or over the back and arms, like a shawl. Mantas usually have a simple striped pattern, and can last for generations.
Like many indigenous art forms, fewer young people are learning how to weave, and the craft is in danger of losing its place in Andean culture. By finding new uses for mantas that increase the market and appreciation for these crafts more artisans are encouraged to continue the tradition. Today, exquisite vintage and contemporary woven mantas can be found as accents in leather bags, tailored jackets, and as culturally rich examples of indigenous art independent of their enduring practical use.
