art pieces

The Peruvian textile arts reach another point of luxurious and captivating beauty with Raquel and Gregor's newest design. The team works on a traditional loom to create this soft scarf, whose yarns of baby alpaca, cotton and rayon allow a comfortable sensation. With red and orange as the main colours, this fringed piece boasts fire's bold grace.

The Peruvian textile arts reach another point of luxurious and radiant beauty with Raquel and Gregor's newest design. The team works on a traditional loom to create this soft scarf, whose yarns of baby alpaca, cotton and rayon allow a comfortable sensation. With yellow as the main colour, this fringed piece boasts the sun's luminous grace.

Crafted by hand, this delightful morral combines rich textures with red, white and rich earthen browns. Artisan members of Peru's Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco first knot the yarn before it is woven on a backstrap loom. The motifs derive from Inca art in an effort to keep the traditional patterns and techniques alive as well as their Andean identity. This texture is known as urpi, which means "dove" in the Quechua language.

The community raises and cares for its own alpacas. The fleece is washed, carded and spun by hand using a pushka, or drop spindle. The dyes come from plants, nuts and tree bark. The next step is one of the most important, as the artisan prepares the warp, or vertical threads for the backstrap loom. This determines the size of the textile, the color combinations, and the patterns that will be woven.

The intensity of color can vary depending on the hardness of the water, the altitude and the local dye sources, making each textile a unique piece of handcrafted art

Working in baby alpaca — the fine fleece from the season's first shearing — the artisans of the centre for Traditional Textiles of Cusco create a handwoven masterpiece. Rows of intricate geometric motifs flow across the ruby red poncho. Its soft allure is woven by hand on the backstrap loom using colours favored by ancient Andean cultures. Its name reveals its inspiration in the small Inca community of Sallac.

The community raises and cares for its own alpacas. The fleece is washed, carded and spun by hand using a pushka, or drop spindle. The dyes come from plants, nuts and tree bark. The next step is one of the most important, as the artisan prepares the warp, or vertical threads for the backstrap loom. This determines the size of the textile, the colour combinations, and the patterns that will be woven.

The intensity of colour can vary depending on the hardness of the water, the altitude and the local dye sources, making each textile a unique piece of handcrafted art.

Vertical bands of earth tones distinguish this classic poncho for men. Artisans of the centre for Traditional Textiles of Cusco work with ancestral techniques to create fashion for today and always. Woven by hand of fine alpaca wool, prized by the ancient Inca for its lightweight warmth, its colours come from natural dyes. Geometric motifs pay tribute to the traditions of Chinchero, where time seems to have stood still for centuries.

The community raises and cares for its own alpacas. The fleece is washed, carded and spun by hand using a pushka, or drop spindle. The dyes come from plants, nuts and tree bark. The next step is one of the most important, as the artisan prepares the warp, or vertical threads for the backstrap loom. This determines the size of the textile, the colour combinations, and the patterns that will be woven.

The intensity of colour can vary depending on the hardness of the water, the altitude and the local dye sources, making each textile a unique piece of handcrafted art.

Intricate geometric motifs come to life in radiant colors derived from natural dyes. Artisans of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco work with ancestral techniques to create fashion for today and always. This elegant ruana cape is woven by hand of fine alpaca wool, prized by the ancient Inca for its lightweight warmth. The cloak of many colors includes red, goldenrod yellow, fuchsia and orange, among others.

The community raises and cares for its own alpacas. The fleece is washed, carded and spun by hand using a pushka, or drop spindle. The dyes come from plants, nuts and tree bark. The next step is one of the most important, as the artisan prepares the warp, or vertical threads for the backstrap loom. This determines the size of the textile, the color combinations, and the patterns that will be woven.

The intensity of color can vary depending on the hardness of the water, the altitude and the local dye sources, making each textile a unique piece of handcrafted art.

Patiently handwoven on the backstrap loom, ancient motifs recall the splendor of the Inca empire, when such textiles were more highly prized than gold. Artisans of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco craft a handbag of timeless beauty, combining blue and with two shades of red on a dark blue background. They name their design for Chinchero, where time seems to have stood still for centuries and the Quechua language is spoken and seek to keep the old textile traditions alive.

The community raises and cares for its own alpacas. The fleece is washed, carded and spun by hand using a pushka, or drop spindle. The dyes come from plants, nuts and tree bark. The next step is one of the most important, as the artisan prepares the warp, or vertical threads for the backstrap loom. This determines the size of the textile, the color combinations, and the patterns that will be woven.

The intensity of color can vary depending on the hardness of the water, the altitude and the local dye sources, making each textile a unique piece of handcrafted art. The bag is fully lined and opens to reveal a convenient zipper pocket.