Artwork
Poncho
DepartmentLatin American Art
CultureEcuadorian
Dateearly- 20th century
MediumCamelid wool
Dimensions49 × 55 in. (124.5 × 139.7 cm)
Credit LinePurchased with funds from Friends of Folk Art
Object number88.22.3
GeographyPlace madeEcuador
DescriptionRed wool (possibly llama) poncho with vertical black stripes. Each stripe contains a vela white design of the "cruz del sur," a popular iconography in the Andes.Label TextPonchos are essential outwear for communities throughout Andean South America. They are made from a piece of rectangular woven fabric containing an opening for the head. In Ecuador, ponchos are mostly used in the mountainous Otovalo region of the north. The repeated black-and-white vertical pattern contains a cruz del sur, a stepped cross icon with cosmological significance to Andean communities.
Los ponchos son prendas de vestir indispensables para las comunidades de los Andes de América del Sur. Consisten en un trozo rectangular de tela con una abertura en el centro de la prenda para insertar la cabeza. En Ecuador, los ponchos se utilizan principalmente en la región montañosa de Otovalo, en el norte del país. El diseño vertical repetido en blanco y negro representa una cruz del sur o chacana, que consiste en una cruz cuadrada y escalonada con doce puntas. Este símbolo tiene un significado cosmológico para las comunidades andinas.
(LA, 2020)Not on view
Collections
20th century
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
