Name/Title
Woman's Shawl (Macana, or Paños de Gualaceo)Entry/Object ID
2024.4.60Description
The Macana or Paños de Gualaceo is a traditional shawl worn by women in Ecuador's Azuay province. This fine cotton shawl features a "dark" background with floral and geometric motifs created using the ikat dyeing technique with indigo. Its warp fringes (el fleco) are knotted in macramé and enhanced with needlework that displays with the message “Un Recuerdo” a memory or momento, with flower pots, flowers, and birds motifs. In the past, threads made of black sisal (agave americano latino) were used to tie the ikat design on the cotton warp. The tying and dyeing of the ikat warp 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. See additional information in “Paños de Gualaceo” by Dennis Penley (1988).Acquisition
Accession
2024.4Source or Donor
Teresa Lemon SheproAcquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
Gift of Teresa Lemon SheproMade/Created
Time Period
1st half of 20th CenturyEthnography
Cultural Region
Country
EcuadorProvince
AzuayNotes
Gualaceo CountyProvenance
Notes
Acquired 1994 Cuenca, Ecuador