﻿Vol.2) 
  THE 
  AYMARA 
  — 
  TSCHOPIK 
  535 
  

  

  opposite 
  end, 
  and 
  the 
  interval 
  remaining 
  is 
  finished 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  

   long, 
  perforated 
  wooden 
  or 
  metal 
  needle. 
  

  

  The 
  loom 
  for 
  belts 
  is 
  also 
  pegged 
  out 
  horizontally. 
  The 
  process 
  of 
  

   weaving 
  is 
  identical 
  with 
  that 
  described 
  above 
  save 
  that 
  three 
  heddles 
  

   and 
  two 
  shuttles 
  are 
  used 
  to 
  manipulate 
  the 
  design. 
  

  

  In 
  all 
  textiles 
  made 
  according 
  to 
  aboriginal 
  techniques, 
  the 
  warp 
  is 
  

   continuous, 
  being 
  wound 
  around 
  the 
  cloth 
  and 
  yard 
  beams. 
  Designs 
  

   and 
  color 
  changes 
  are 
  set 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  warp 
  threads 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  way 
  that 
  all 
  

   bands 
  parallel 
  the 
  warp. 
  Designs 
  are 
  characteristically 
  simple: 
  plain 
  

   stripes 
  and 
  occasionally 
  bands 
  containing 
  diamonds, 
  checks, 
  and 
  

   zigzags. 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  loom 
  is 
  employed 
  to 
  make 
  fancy 
  edging 
  for 
  carrying 
  cloths. 
  

  

  A 
  wide 
  variety 
  of 
  articles 
  (caps, 
  coin 
  pouches, 
  and 
  scarves) 
  are 
  

   knitted 
  by 
  women. 
  

  

  Cordage. 
  — 
  Ropes 
  for 
  llama 
  packs 
  are 
  plaited 
  of 
  llama 
  and 
  alpaca 
  

   wool. 
  Slings 
  are 
  braided 
  in 
  various 
  degrees 
  of 
  elaboration 
  from 
  the 
  

   same 
  materials. 
  The 
  cradle 
  of 
  the 
  sling 
  is 
  flattened 
  and 
  divided 
  into 
  

   two 
  parts 
  by 
  a 
  split. 
  One 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  cord 
  is 
  looped 
  to 
  pass 
  around 
  the 
  

   little 
  finger; 
  the 
  other 
  is 
  knotted 
  and 
  is 
  released 
  when 
  the 
  stone 
  is 
  

   thrown. 
  

  

  Many 
  kinds 
  of 
  cordage 
  are 
  made 
  from 
  a 
  grass 
  (Festuca 
  rigescens), 
  

   which 
  is 
  soaked 
  in 
  water 
  and 
  beaten 
  with 
  a 
  round 
  wooden 
  club. 
  A 
  

   two-ply 
  cord 
  is 
  then 
  made 
  by 
  rubbing 
  the 
  grass 
  between 
  the 
  palms. 
  

   Occasionally, 
  three 
  strands 
  of 
  this 
  cordage 
  are 
  twisted 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  heavy 
  

   rope 
  used 
  to 
  tether 
  animals. 
  Three-strand 
  braided 
  cord 
  is 
  also 
  man- 
  

   ufactured 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  grass, 
  or, 
  occasionally, 
  from 
  human 
  hair. 
  

  

  Matting. 
  — 
  Several 
  types 
  of 
  mats 
  are 
  made 
  from 
  totora 
  reeds. 
  

   Small 
  bundles 
  of 
  totora 
  reeds 
  are 
  twined 
  together 
  with 
  twisted 
  grass 
  

   string 
  or 
  are 
  laced 
  onto 
  lengths 
  of 
  grass 
  rope 
  to 
  manufacture 
  mats 
  

   used 
  to 
  cover 
  house 
  roofs. 
  Heavy 
  laced 
  mats 
  are 
  used 
  as 
  grain 
  

   storage 
  bins 
  or 
  as 
  bed 
  mattresses. 
  Balsa 
  sails 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  

   threaded 
  totora 
  reeds, 
  the 
  edges 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  twined 
  with 
  grass 
  

   cordage. 
  

  

  Skin 
  preparation. 
  — 
  Skins 
  are 
  prepared 
  simply 
  and 
  are 
  never 
  soft- 
  

   tanned. 
  Fresh 
  hides 
  are 
  pegged 
  out 
  to 
  dry 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  small 
  sticks 
  

   pounded 
  through 
  their 
  edges. 
  The 
  dry 
  hide 
  is 
  scraped 
  with 
  a 
  knife, 
  

   and 
  the 
  contents 
  of 
  the 
  animaPs 
  stomach 
  worked 
  in 
  with 
  the 
  hands 
  

   and 
  tramped 
  in 
  with 
  the 
  feet. 
  The 
  cured 
  skin 
  is 
  next 
  scraped 
  with 
  a 
  

   porous 
  lava 
  rock, 
  then 
  stretched 
  with 
  the 
  hands, 
  and 
  pegged 
  out 
  again 
  

   to 
  dry. 
  The 
  hair 
  is 
  removed 
  by 
  applying 
  hot 
  ashes 
  and 
  then 
  scraping 
  

   with 
  a 
  stone. 
  In 
  Bolivia, 
  hides 
  are 
  soaked 
  in 
  salt 
  water 
  and 
  then 
  in 
  

   limewater 
  for 
  2 
  weeks 
  (La 
  Barre, 
  ms.). 
  

  

  Dry 
  hides 
  are 
  used 
  as 
  surfaces 
  on 
  which 
  to 
  grind 
  grain 
  and 
  for 
  trans- 
  

   porting 
  manure, 
  fuel, 
  and 
  fish. 
  With 
  the 
  hair 
  removed, 
  hides 
  are 
  cut 
  

  

  