TEXTILE FABRICS OF ANCIENT PERU. 



15 



weaving, aud the very great diversity of eflfect produced, but a few 

 salient features may be noted. 



For all the more ordinary forms of fabrics, the jjrevailing method of 

 combining the web aud the woof is that of simple interlacing. By this 

 method, which is known as plain weaving, many differently appearing 

 stuffs are produced. We have open work ranging in character from 

 coarse coffee sacking to tine, gauze-like mummy cloth. There are more 

 compact fabrics, varjing from heavy sail cloth to fine muslins, and in 

 closely impacted forms we have a ribbed surface, in which the warp 

 series of strands is entirely obscured by the woof. In all of this work 

 the decorations when employed are highly geometric, but animal form 

 are often cleverly introduced. 



Fig. 10.— The weavinj; of ciirved forms in gobelins. 



In open work, and especially in that variety intended as a foundation 

 for embroidery, what is known as the twined combination is employed. 

 In this the woof threads are twined together in pairs, inclosing in each 

 half turn one of the warp threads. In this way the mesh is firmly 

 fixed, after the manner of a net. This combination is not adapted to 

 the weaving of compact cloths, nor to the introduction of varied orna- 

 ments. It is much used in basketry. 



A number of varieties of combination are sometimes employed in a 

 single piece, all being woven into the same warp. It is also very usual, 

 as already noted, to see cloths made up of variously woven and diversely 

 colored sections stitched together. 



We find a great variety of netted stuffs and netted articles, such as 

 bags, pouches, aud covers for articles of domestic use. Threads of 

 varying degrees of coarseness were used, and the intersections were 

 thoroughly knotted as in our fish-nets. Knitting was common also, but, 

 as the interloopings are very difficult to describe, I will not now under- 

 take to aualj'Ze them. 



