Colors! Cloth! 19th century Aymara poncho half. Incredible color and weave with a supple handle and drape that is only seen in the finest Aymara warp-faced weavings. In excellent condition, this is not a fragment. It was not cut or reduced. Ponchos were always made in two halves and seamed together at the center so this is a complete, four selvedged, warp-faced textile. See the mock-up of what the complete poncho would have looked like. In the late 18th and throughout the 19th century ponchos were the most important male garment. Lavish time and the finest materials were employed in the best ponchos to bring added prestige and honor to the wearer. These textiles were not trade items or commodities for the Aymara, but made within the family and community for specific individuals and identified their community, household and station in life. The size of this textile (80 x 33 inches) indicates that it was quite a large poncho meant to impress and demonstrate the stature of its owner. Complete with both halves as it would have been in the poncho it would have measured 80 x 66 inches.