The Macana, or Paños de Gualaceo is a traditional shawl worn by women in Ecuador's Azuay province. This piece is made of soft, fine cotton dyed with indigo in ikat technique, which features zig-zag design. The macrame fringes are shorter and the design is plainer than newer examples. They are also not starch. The shawl has several tears and repairs with stains. It is possibler rather old and perhaps represents a paño design before the macrame knotting became more ambitious and elaborate. The tying and dyeing of the ikat warp, as well as the macrame work were done by women while the warping and weaving were done by men. Originally, the weaving was done on a backstrap loom with a circular warp.
