Aymara artist; Woman's mantle (Ahuayo) (detail), 18th–19th century; camelid fiber and dye; 33 x 34 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Elissa and Paul Cahn 443:2018
Aymara Weavings: The Indigenous Andes
January 30–September 13, 2026- Location
- Carolyn C. and William A. McDonnell Gallery 100
- Admission
- Free
Aymara Weavings: The Indigenous Andes presents exceptional weavings by Aymara artists and related works from the Central Andes. Dating primarily to the 18th and 19th centuries, these skirts, mantles, and ponchos demonstrate how artists in Bolivia maintained and reinvented ancient artistic practices to express Indigenous identities during the colonial era.
While pattern and form vary considerably across type, the textiles in this exhibition share a number of characteristics. Each design reflects the vertical structure of the warp yarns, made from exceptional hand-spun and -dyed fibers harvested from camelids such as alpaca and vicuña.
Showcasing select works from a 2018 gift of art by Paul and Elissa Cahn, Aymara Weavings will offer visitors the chance to engage more deeply with the technically sophisticated and historically rich practice of warp-faced weaving among the Aymara.
Aymara Weavings: The Indigenous Andes is curated by Alexander Briar Marr, associate curator of Native American art.
Aymara artist; Man's mantle (Llacota), 18th–19th century; camelid fiber and dye; 46 x 49 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Elissa and Paul Cahn 446:2018