Support Indigenous Artisans with Every Purchase and donation.
Tarabuco Culture
Vibrant, colorful, and full of movement, Tarabuco textiles capture the daily life and identity of their community. From bright geometric patterns to scenes of farming, festivals, and family, each piece tells a story. Their work is joyful, expressive, and deeply connected to the rhythms of the Andes.
Region Tarabuco
The Yampara (Tarabuco) culture is situated in the East of the city Sucre; comprising of both the towns of Yampara, Tarabuco, Vila Vila, Cororo, and Presto, and their respective surrounding communities, such as San Jancito, Paredón, Quellu Q'asa, Pila Torre, the Yampara reach as far as the neighboring Zudañez municipality. Their working life focuses on the production of potatoes, barley, quinoa, and wheat. It also has income from tourism, especially Tarabuco has extensive experience in the marketing of textiles.
Textile Communication
In our daily lives we have to make many choices. Even with simple things such as what to eat, which brand to buy, and what to wear. The choices we make especially when it comes to clothing is very important, as textile is something close to our skin. It serves as a canvas, projecting our feelings to the outside. Clothing can also mean group affiliation. It tells other people how you feel or how you want to be seen. In this way textiles communicate with others. Before the Spanish invasion, the Andean cultures had no letter system. Their way to exchange information was through textiles. Patterns and colors told stories. The Tarabucor textiles from Bolivia are very figurative and therefore invite readers to interpret them, to read them. They tell stories of life, festivals, the present and history and the past, tell wisdom and fairy tells. With some background information you can travel into the world or the campesinos (farmers).
Abstract Figures
Yampara dress
The Tarabuco are most easily recognized by the male dress, especially the striking use of rainbows, or K'uychis, that the Tarabuco men were in their ponchos, and "unkus", small ponchos worn around the neck. The other most interesting element of dress worn by both sexes, are the Tarabuco leather hats or „Monteras". This reflects very strong the influence of the Spanish. In the 19th century they imitated the European style helmets, it has become one of the most striking elements of the Tarabuco dress. Interestingly, the style of monetera changes for women changes according to her marital status, from a style similar to a British "tophat" sported by young unmarried women, exchanged to one similar to male style on marriage, with a third style reserved for fiestas. Other than their headwear, Tarabuco women are, of course, recognizable by the distinctive weaving in their axsus.
Montera
Similar to the helmets worn by Spanish colonialists, this style of hat is made by hand from leather.
Siki unku
(unku of the rear): Similar to the unku, but without an opening for the head, and worn hanging over the hip, so as to cover the rear.
Unku
One of the most distinctive elements of the Yampara dress, its origin is in fact pre-Columbian. So small that it only serves to cover the shoulders, its continued use is less for practical purposes than a continuation of the tradition, which dates from before the Spanish invasion.
Polainas
Woolen socks, woven with designs of birds, horses, etc.
Sinchu
Of european origin. A thick leather belt, doubled over in the middle, and decorat-ed with studs in the form of stars, horses.
Espuelas
Small iron circles, worn during dancing, so as to chime with the music with move-ment.
Pacha Montera
An elegantly embroidered hat decorated with colored sequins and ribbons, worn for fiestas.
Almilla
An ample and wide black tunic, with pre-Columbian origins, with sleeves half way down the arms, and similar in appearance to a dress.
Chumpi
A woven belt, this is used to secure the loose almilla, and asxu. However, it also serves as a sash that ensures that newborn babies are carried properly, by tying their limbs in such a way as to protect their posture and bones.
Axsu
The weaving that covers the almilla (see above), fastening in-front, and pinned at the shoulder.
Llijlla y topo
A wide shawl, which hangs off the back or is tied to loads.
Sandalias
Sandals made of rubber tubes
Female
Clothing
Male
Clothing
