a unique, white ground Aymara Ponchito (small poncho). Altiplano region, Bolivia. Early 19th Century or before. One of a kind cotton and alpaca man's ceremonial overgarment. The only ponchito of the type i have seen. Size: 30 x 45 inches. a Ponchito such as this would have had a specific ceremonial purpose and might be used no more than once or twice a year. It would have been carefully curated and passed down as an heirloom within the bloodline. This piece has a depth of soul that is hard to capture in a digital image. Images were shot in interior light and afternoon sunlight. Notice the sheen of the fine alpaca yarns in the details. The white in the textile is cotton, a rarely used material in Aymara textiles and one that has both specific ceremonial uses and implies a special status for the owner within the community. White cotton in Aymara textiles is exceedingly rare as a ground color or for the matter in any application. Of the handful of known pieces with this feature all are early. See the book from the Smithsonian Institution's Aymara Textile exhibition - Aymara Textiles - Ceremonial Textiles of Colonial and 19th Century Bolivia - plate 45, page 118 for a related white cotton ground textile. Please excuse the poor photoshop crop of the piece on a form. The background was noisy so i tried to change it to a solid color without much success as seen around the edges of the image.