Patterns of the Incas – Ancient Weaving Traditions

A kaleidoscope of textiles greet your eyes almost everywhere you look in Peru’s outdoor markets and shops. Vibrantly colorful, the woolens from sheep and llamas are woven into dresses, belts, blankets, and other items.

Their Inca patterns are as ancient as the techniques still used to create them in Chinchero and other Andean communities tucked into the Sacred Valley. Run your hand over images of soaring condors and a wide-eyed toad and you touch the past. These are just two patterns created thousands of years ago.

Many children memorize nursery rhymes. While little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet and the cow jumped over the moon, children growing up in the Sacred Valley learn Chinchero patterns. As young as six years old, many begin weaving. One of our expert Peruvian guides, Gaby Puma, grew up in the village and knew over 32 patterns as a youngster.

Close to the former Inca capital city of modern-day Cusco, the valley was the heartland of the Pre-Columbian people. Several of our Peru journeys, like the Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu, Cusco & Sacred Valley tour, explore their rich heritage.

Unlike many other cultures, Inca history and traditions were passed down to each new generation orally and by observation — never written down. It is believed that the fertility goddess, Mama Uqllu, first taught the indigenous women to weave threads. The designs reflect a deep respect to Pachamama, or Mother Earth, and natural elements.

Peruvian weaving has rituals and each layer continues to contain many meanings. Collecting, cleaning, dyeing, spinning, and ultimately weaving the wool offers the artisan a strong connection to her ancestors.

Natural dyes are valued and often come from the weaver’s own garden. The flowers of the í‘uchu plant render a pale red color while the bright scarlet of cochineal is achieved by crushing bugs on cactus plants.

At market places like the centuries-old one in Pisac, it is customary to see the craft practiced daily. Primarily women kneel or sit on a hand woven manta and create objects from small portable looms. Another location to see skilled craftsmen and learn more is the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco.

Buy a woven textile on your Peru vacation and bring a bit of the Inca home with you.