Ch’aska Puyto

Ch’aska Puyto

This design means lake cavern. In Choquecancha, a community in the region of Cusco, the design refers to the planet Venus that can be seen reflecting on lake waters on winter nights. For the rural people of this area, the presence of Venus signifies the coming of the rainy season (and the beginning of the cold). This design is typically woven in bright contrasting colors like red and white (Proyecto Corredor Puno-Cusco 2005).

The ch’aska puito motif of the Urcos region symbolizes a star enclosed within a rhombus. They may be woven in ribbons or to adorn the waist strip of the polleras (skirts) or ch’uspas (bags). The ribbons are called puitus due to their original pattern, although today they weave puitus with diverse patterns such as q’enqo (Vidal de Milla 2000).

References Cited

Proyecto Corredor Puno-Cusco (2005). Rescate e Interpretación de la Iconografía Textil de las Comunidades de Ccachin, Ccollana, Choquecancha, Quishuarani, y Rosaspata. Calca, Peru: FIDA, Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola.

Vidal de Milla, Delia (2000). El arte textil: simbolismo de los motivos decorativos. Cusco: Municipalidad Provincial.