Document Actions

Textile heritage

Weaving Communities of Practice is designed to contribute to current curatorial practice and heritage policy.

In seeking to understand the techniques, structures, and iconography of Andean textiles, we focus especially on the weavers' viewpoint and the dynamic complexity of textile cultures.

The weavers' repertoire is shaped by the embodied knowledge and social practices embedded in the creation, enactment and transmission of textile designs between generations.

Understanding the knowledge and practice of textile production as a form of cultural heritage is important in the Andean context, in which:

  • Urbanisation is eroding knowledge of clothing traditions, especially those linked to rural areas and the idea of being 'Indian'
  • Importation of second-hand clothes and Chinese fabrics undermines the regional production of cloth
  • Traditional textiles are re-used as decorations on commodities (eg shoes and bags) branded as 'indigenous'
  • Higher wages in the agro-industry sector are attracting workers to the detriment of traditional farming associated with textile production

Explore here how to value textilesheritage organisationscase studies and links to textile heritage recognized by UNESCO around the world.