While traveling in Peru, Andrea Aranow was drawn in by the stunning beauty of the landscape, the rich culture, and the continued use of handwoven clothing around her. After six months serving as the regional textile researcher at the Instituto Nacional de Cultura, Aranow saw examples of textiles from the Central Highlands in the Andes and felt called to do her own fieldwork, collecting and documenting the unique, creative textiles and dress of the region.

The pieces she collected included daily-use items like tapestries and rectangular warp-striped woven shawls known as mantas. These textiles feature limited motifs, typically stripes and geometric and abstract designs. Other celebratory embroidered mantas and capes were used in fiestas, such as during village celebrations on patron saints’ days. The festival mantas use more industrial materials, and utilize embroidery techniques to create bold imagery and striking designs.

Aranow also collected an array of alto-relieve embroideries worn by men and horses during village fiestas in the Junin region, dating from 1915 to the early 1970s. These elaborately embroidered garments feature heroic religious and military themes, with elements such as airplanes and flowers, and employ a technique involving wrapped and stuffed shapes reminiscent of Spanish church vestments. The earliest pieces were made primarily with silver and gold thread, with more col-
ors and design elements introduced over time. Motifs from the 1930s and ‘40s feature custom details and lettering, while those from the ‘50s become bolder in color and design and more formal in composition, and include topical subjects.

The Peruvian collection comprises over 700 textiles and garments, thousands of field photos, and Aranow’s research notes, along with video interviews and lectures about her time living and collecting in Peru between 1973 and 1980.

Textile Hive invited Susana Navarro Hospinal to craft and refine Threads of Time: Textile Legacies from Junín, Peru. An independent scholar, art historian, and curator, Hospinal specializes in the art of modern Peruvian textiles and embroidery. She has published articles on communication strategy in cultural and artistic institutions and currently works with several contemporary visual artists on curatorial projects for private organizations. Her curatorial approach highlights cultural narratives and traditional techniques in a contemporary context.