Minneapolis Institute of Art

Mantle

Quechua artist

Date

20th century

Medium

Wool

Culture

Quechua

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Worn by both men and women, mantles have a long history of providing extra warmth in the Andean highlands. Still popular today among Quechua women, mantles continue to convey long-standing symbols of gender and rank. Women wear the mantle across their back, draping it over their shoulders like a shawl. They fasten it together in the front using a pin called a tupu —itself a symbol of status and prestige. While mantle sizes typically vary by region, their construction is fairly consistent. Mantles are woven in two separate pieces, and when joined together, the completed garment contains wide patterned stripes across a solid-color background. When draped across the back, the stripes appear horizontally, a distinctly feminine style. Bolivia, Americas

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