Object Number: Eb946

Collection: World Cultures

Object Name: Clothing

Description: Chullu, hat, knitted in coloured acrylic yarn, with earflaps sewn on, tassels on crown and tasseled ribbon ties. Crown worked in 6 bands of motifs contained in individual coloured squares, some striped, the squares decreasing in size as the crown decreases to a point. Motifs include condors, birds with flowers and olive branches, typical of northern Potosi. Between the squares bands are narrow bands of white, rose, blue, fuschia, green, scarlet. Handknitted by young men, in 3 pieces, crown and 2 earflaps. Crown knitted circularly on 5 fine needles of wire stripped from the inside of a car tyre. Worked densely in stocking stitch, with long colour floats picked up on reverse, creating a rigidity the wearer wants. Ear flaps knitted on 3 needles so they lie flat. tassels added to flat braids of oblique interlacing 16 strand bifurcating to 2x8 strand., different colours on each earflap. Little fading of colours means it is almost new.