Woven Stories: Andean Textiles and Rituals (review)

This oversized, illustrated book purports to explore the way in which woven textiles in southern Peru both reflect continuing traditions and express deeply held beliefs. The author, a weaver and former Andean guide, returned to the region to learn Andean weaving techniques and to complete her dissertation in Latin American Studies, from which this book is derived. There are chapters on Andean textile heritage and weaving techniques, geography and agricultural cycles, public rituals, and rites of passage. Unfortunately, the text and the photographs of Andean people, their weaving, and their rituals seldom rise above the descriptive and anecdotal. Since she is a weaver herself, Heckman's failure to provide clear analyses of the variety and meaning of different woven designs is both puzzling and disappointing. Many of the engaging photographs decorate the text more than they illustrate an argument. The reader is told that textiles and designs are important in ritual, life, and identity in the Andes, but seldom learns how and why the designs relate to past traditions. In short, this work is a pleasing coffee table book for people who know little of Andean culture or weaving, but it will be less satisfying to scholars.