Member Program: Exploring Colonial-Period Women's Headcloths from the Andes

Join curator Shelley Burian for a discussion of the composition and function of six women's headcloths in the museum's collection. These headcloths were created for Indigenous, Aymara-speaking elite in the modern department of Oruro in Bolivia. Made during the Spanish colonial period, these textiles’ intricate and novel compositions depart from many previous traditions as their makers began using foreign silk and silver thread and took inspiration from imported fabrics. Dr. Burian will discuss aspects of the headcloths’ construction and history, their connection to the wider cultural development in colonial society and recent research by conservation research fellow Callie Jerman that has shed new light on their secrets.