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Incan clothing
Associated to Place: AncientWorlds > the Americas > South America > articles -- by * ChanChan Tupac (13 Articles), Historical Article

   Incan Costume
   

Most people wore a tunic made out of a woven material made out of llama or alpaca wool. This woven cloth is called a huasca. The upper classes wore a much more refined tunic, made of soft fibers and dyed in bright colours and woven along geomatrical patterns that are called tocapu

Men wore a short, sleeveless tunic, called a uncu, which was a rectangular piece of cloth with a slit for the head, tied together on the sides, more or less like a poncho that is known today.

Women wore an acsu, which was similar to the uncu, but much longer. Sometimes a cloak was added to the costume, for the men it was called a llacolla and for women it was called a lliclla.

dress #100#

The upper classes wore sandals, jewellery (such as bracelets, earplugs and of course the medallions that they had earned for bravery in war, or other good deeds) coloured bags and feathered headdresses.

Sapa Inca wore a different kind of headress: round his head was wreathed a turban of many colored folds, called the llautu, with a tasselled fringe, like that worn by the prince, but of a scarlet color, while two feathers of a rare and curious bird, called the coraquenque, placed upright in it, were the distinguishing insignia of royalty.

Sources:
Eric R.Harris

The splendors of the Incas and other Andean civilisations
by Maria Longhena and Walter Alva - White Star S.R.L.

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Posted Oct 24, 2004 - 12:28 , Last Edited: Oct 24, 2004 - 12:46











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