The Nazca textile industry stood out for the use of different colors and the design of geometric figures, using different raw materials and manufacturing methods for its development.
The Nazca civilization was a pre-Columbian culture that developed on the southern coast of Peru, between 200 BC and 700 AD. One of the most representative manifestations of this culture are the geoglyphs located in the Pampas de Jumana, in the Nazca desert, which are currently of great tourist attraction.
The finishes of the mantles and garments made in the Nazca textiles are still under study today due to their wide quality, the diversity of designs and the color palette used.
Characteristics of the Nazca textile industry
The main raw material used in the fabric-making process was pima cotton fibers (scientific name: Gossypium barbadense), harvested on the Peruvian coast.
The fabric was made with specialized looms, and the threads were manufactured using the warp and weft technique, with "S" spinning and in a balanced way.
Most of the clothing was made using a basic long stitch sewing technique, known as basting stitch, using white cotton thread.
Likewise, they complemented their designs with wool from the camelids of the area: llamas, alpacas and vicuñas, which was used for accessories for cloth cloths.
The accessories are generally given by fringed edging and three-dimensional designs. Applications of bird feathers were also used to increase the eye-catching of the garment.
From the decorative point of view, they complemented their garments by painting directly on the cotton fabric, with diverse and very colorful motifs.
For painting on canvas they used ink of vegetable origin. One of the most widely used inks was derived from the indigo plant, which provides an indigo blue color.
In the case of the dresses of the Nazca ladies, for example, motifs associated with the marine ecosystem, the sky, the earth and religious offerings were used.
The Nazca culture stood out for the wide range of colors and the creativity used in its designs. In the fabrics of this civilization, more than 190 shades of 7 different colors have been distinguished.
In terms of designs, compositions with geometric figures and stepped frets were also common. They also represented the crops of corn and beans on their mantles.
For the manufacture of the garments of the Nazca civilization, the technique of piecing was used, for the most part.
This technique consists of the union of basic geometric shapes to produce complex compositions, by placing patches on the cloth.
The burial bundles of the Nazca culture are also a manifestation of their skill in textiles. These showed motifs very similar to those used in ceramics.
References
- Arellano, F. (1986). An Introduction to Pre-Hispanic Venezuela: Cultures of the Venezuelan Indigenous Nations. Caracas Venezuela. Andres Bello Catholic University.
- Cartwright, M. (2014). Nazca civilization. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited. London, United Kingdom. Recovered from: ancient.eu
- Ecured (2015). Nazca culture. Havana Cuba. Recovered from: ecured.cu
- Textile Art: plots that tell stories. I (2011). Recovered from: tallerdeencuentros.blogspot.com
- Golte, J. (2010). Nasca ritual textiles in Cahuachi. Lima Peru. National University of San Marcos.