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The Revival of Ancient Techniques

Description

Ticlla: Discontinuous Warp and Weft

This is an ancient and complex technique that was only maintained in the district of Pitumarca, internationally known for their revival of this technique. Ticlla, or discontinuous warp, allows the weaver to change the color of the warp anywhere they desire by inserting sticks into the vertical threads. This one-of-a-kind Andean technique was invented by pre-Incan cultures, being particularly important to the Paracas and Nasca. It is a weaving technique that cannot be found in any other culture in the world other than pre-Columbian Andean societies.

The Ticlla revival project of the CTTC has been focused on the Pitumarca weavers association.  When the Center started working with the weavers in this region, there were found used textiles like ponchos, lliklla (blankets), and plain weave small pieces for offerings all made from Ticlla of four sections.

Despite the ancient technique was almost extinct, the elders still maintained the knowledge of how to warp and weave; and that is how the re-introduction of the practice began.

The CTTC focused on sharing with the weavers all the research gathered from the old textiles as well as from the conversations with the elders, while giving workshops, and providing materials to the weavers. The weavers, on the other side,  with their extraordinary skill and capacity of understanding the weaving structure were able to focus on the development of the technique. They wove many weavings (mostly ponchos and lliklla) using the re-introduced ancient technique through the stepped and southern cross styles. Today, the master weavers of Pitumarca have accomplished to recreate the ticlla technique with eight sections, at the same time as they incorporate very complex iconography. The weavers have also been proud to work on replicas of pre-Inca ticlla pieces from the Paracas, Nasca, and Chimu cultures.



 

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