Peruvian Culture
Spanish conquistadors influenced Peruvian culture much. But still, people of Peru managed to save most traditions, customs, and beliefs.
One of the main features of this nation is that Peruvians are excellent craftsmen. Their textile products are estimated in other countries. Every tourist admires the beauty of local handmade clothing and wishes to buy something at Peruvian colorful markets.
There are several features of national clothing in Peru. First of all, clothes are rather warm (because the weather in the Andes is cold and changeable) and in most cases – homemade. The main material for making clothing is the wool of Alpaca. Peruvian garments have geometric patterns and vibrant colors. All of these make the traditional costume of Peru very bright and unique.
Peruvian Culture
Spanish conquistadors influenced Peruvian culture much. But still, people of Peru managed to save most traditions, customs, and beliefs.
One of the main features of this nation is that Peruvians are excellent craftsmen. Their textile products are estimated in other countries. Every tourist admires the beauty of local handmade clothing and wishes to buy something at Peruvian colorful markets.
There are several features of national clothing in Peru. First of all, clothes are rather warm (because the weather in the Andes is cold and changeable) and in most cases – homemade. The main material for making clothing is the wool of Alpaca. Peruvian garments have geometric patterns and vibrant colors. All of these make the traditional costume of Peru very bright and unique.
Female clothing in Peru
The main parts of women’s clothing in this country are ponchos, dresses, blankets, skirts, tunics and various hats. Every costume and even every piece of clothing differ from region to region and shows the peculiarities of a specific region or town/village. For example, locals can tell a lot about a woman by her hat: is she from the city or from the village, what region is she from or even what village is she from, is her family rich or poor, etc. Peruvians often use shoulder cloths, rectangular pieces of handwoven cloth. It is a part of a traditional Peruvian costume. This blanket is put on shoulders and pinned at the front. People used to have beautiful handmade pins (called “tupu” or “tupo”), decorated with beads, gemstones, and carving. Today they often use simple safety pins or other bought pins. Women in Peru wear several kinds of shoulder cloths: lliclla, k’eperina, awayu and unkuna. Lliclla is a very common shoulder cloth, mostly used in villages. Awayu is similar to lliclla but larger and knotted at the front, it is used to carry babies and goods. K’eperina is also a large carrying cloth, often used to carry babies or different goods. It is not pinned but tied at the front. Unkuna also is a carrying cloth but a smaller one. It is used to carry food or snacks.
Sweaters and jackets are worn under the shoulder cloth. Sweaters are usually synthetic, tight-fitting and colorful. Jackets are made of wool cloth and called “juyuna”. They are usually embellished and beautiful.
Peruvian women wear traditional skirts called “polleras” or “melkkhay”. They are trimmed with a colorful band called “puyto”. Peruvian skirts are handwoven and made from Bayeta or wool cloth. They are usually layered and worn several items at once (up to 15 at festivals). That’s why Peruvian skirts are so puffy. Also, native skirts in Peru are always colorful and bright.
Both men and women in Peru use ajotas – shoes made from recycled truck tires. They are very cheap and easy to make at home.
Male clothing in Peru
One of the main items of Peruvian male attire is a poncho. It is a warm outer garment, a large piece of fabric with an opening in the center for the head. Their many types of poncho according to its purpose, country where it is used (not only Peruvians wear ponchos) and so on. A lot of men wear a poncho in everyday life, but most people use it basically for festivals, weddings, and other events. Poncho style and color vary from region to region, just like women’s hats in Peru. You can tell what village is the man from his poncho. Usually, ponchos are red, but patterns can be radically different. Another typical part of men’s attire in Peru is hats. Men often wear sombreros. Peruvians make special hatbands for sombrero called “Cantillo”. They make sombrero look more festive and colorful. But the most popular hat is chullo. It is a handmade item, knitted, with ear flaps and tassels. It is made from alpaca, llama, vicugna or sheep’s wool. This hat is traditional for Peruvian men. Fathers often make chullos for their sons. Also, men wear simple trousers (today they often use western-style trousers which can be easily bought at the market) and sweaters made from alpaca, llama or sheep’s wool. Sweaters are warm, with different geometrical and animal ornaments.
The Berbers of Morocco
History of Berber Weaving
With a deeply rooted history inherent in every knot, the Berber technique is unlike its cousin to the east. Anthropologists have discovered traces of Berber motifs and tribal symbolism that date back to the earliest forms of rock art and cave paintings. A long transference of glyphs and markings is embedded in most Berber carpets like a time capsule from the distant past. These innate messages tell us the Berber weaving technique is even more ancient than one first perceives…
Without a standard written language, Berber weavers of the past recorded the myths and legends of their ancestors through archaic symbolism, incorporated with grace and precision into their textiles. These woven works of art are a doorway to the past, dating from the Upper-Paleolithic era. Anthropologists theorize that the Berber tribes of Morocco and Algeria may be the last untainted link to mankind’s distant origins, as only in recent times have the Berber tribes received influence from the modern world. During their many centuries of remote isolation, the Berbers carefully preserved their heritage of technique and knowledge, passing down messages in wool from one generation to another.
While preserving history, the elemental nature of Berber weaving is an execution of pure instinct. Weaving is not only an inherent rite of passage but also an act of expression. The women that manifest these works have a story to tell: While some rugs document a personal experience, other weaving carry a more ancestral message passed down over time. Many of the artisans weave their tales organically, while others intentionally channel inherited knowledge into the loom. The life rituals of Berber women, including fertility, birth, and the protective role of the men, are narrated in an abstract form. It is pure coincidence that Berber carpets, with their simplistic form and geometric purity, appear modern to the Western eye, as each one is deeply rooted in ancient history.
The symbolism of the Berber tradition is often referred to as the ‘Infinite Rapport’, meaning the pattern and the spirit of the work extends beyond its physical borders. Many examples of Berber carpets show shifts in pattern, reflecting a change in life events, a different weaver taking over the rug, or spontaneous creative expression. As many Berber women believe the rugs are imbued with a spirit, either from the imprint of the artist, or from the living nature of the wool, they resist monitoring the progression of their work, often revealing the entire rug only after it has been completed. Once the deeply laborious weaving process is completed, the finished rugs are considered part of the family and are the prized possession of the home.
Source : breuckelenberber.com
The Northern Thailand Tribes
Clothing culture of Lisu hill tribes
There are many tribes in North Thailand but I chose to present to you the Lisu tribe, I love how they use dramatic color in their costumes.
I am hoping that I’ll be able to share more tribes with you soon.
Lisu uses intense contrasting colors in their costumes and they are known as the most colorful tribe of all hill tribes in Thailand.
The Lisu people call themselves “Lee Su” meaning a tribe with rich traditions, and they are proud of their cultures. Therefore, if viewed in terms of culture and its personality, Lisu people love freedom and have a flexible social lifestyle. Lisu does not accept new things without carefully examine but neither do they reject other cultures. For this reason, Lisu people are very well adapted to any changes and yet able to maintain their ethnic identity.
The dress
Lisu women have a very distinctive appearance. The turban with a round obtuse shape decorated with colorful beads and tassels. The long shirt is sewn with bright colored, decorated with alternating small streaks of fabric, and worn over half-calf length pants. The waistband with a long tassel ponytail is also worn which made from colorful fabrics sewn into small strips of more than 100 lines.
Elderly women are dressed different from young women, the older women use darker colors and the turban uses as plain black turban without beads and tassel decorated.
Men wear fresh colored pants and a black shirt decorated with silver. Same as female, Lisu men wear waistband girdle that decorated with a ponytail tassel made from fabric sewn into alternating color, the waist is expected to be dropped from the front of the male. You can see the children are still wearing a tribal dress.
Manufacturing
The duty to produce clothing belongs to the female. Like other hill tribes, the materials used are woven fabrics and dyed yarns.
Lisu’s weaving style is the back strap and weaving for sewing together into bags. Unfortunately, there is only a small narrow weaving nowadays.
Decoration
Most clothing is decorated with colored stripes fabric, patching, embroidered, and silver metal beads. The sash and the tassel are let down on both sides.
Besides, there are many more decorative styles such as multi-colored tassels, beads, beads, and silverware.
On special occasions, men wear decorated silver beads around the neck, while women wear decorated turban and vest over other layers, the vest decorated with silver beads.
Lisu fabric although without complex production methods but the outstandings of using bright and beautiful gaudy colors has always been high demand in the hill tribe cloth market. Lisu say “Everyone was born with the same knees” which reflects the freedom of their thought to their art and costumes.
Tai Lue Woven Clothing
Inherited from their ancestors, the Tai Lue tribe woven clothes are a unique woven fabric. Incorporating into the yarn cotton plants flowers.
Tai Lue woven fabric is sourced from the natural ingredients around their community; and the various patterns such as swimming fish in the river, fishtail or flowing stream rivers. These patterns reflect the wisdom of local lifestyle from their ancestors through nowadays. The younger generation is continuing to conserve their woven fabrics and patterns.
Tai Lue Weaving Group Ban Hat Sai is located between the Chiang Saen-Chiang Khong route along the Mekong River. The Tai Lu traditions ate beautiful and interesting especially the famous local fabric weaving from Chiang Khong district.
The majority of the population are engaged in the weaving which requires skills and knowledge of hand-weaving. Most products are sarong and turban.
Tai Lue Woven Clothing
Inherited from their ancestors, the Tai Lue tribe woven clothes are a unique woven fabric. Incorporating into the yarn cotton plants flowers.
Tai Lue woven fabric is sourced from the natural ingredients around their community; and the various patterns such as swimming fish in the river, fishtail or flowing stream rivers. These patterns reflect the wisdom of local lifestyle from their ancestors through nowadays. The younger generation is continuing to conserve their woven fabrics and patterns.
Tai Lue Weaving Group Ban Hat Sai is located between the Chiang Saen-Chiang Khong route along the Mekong River. The Tai Lu traditions ate beautiful and interesting especially the famous local fabric weaving from Chiang Khong district.
The majority of the population are engaged in the weaving which requires skills and knowledge of hand-weaving. Most products are sarong and turban.
