"Pallay" is a Quechua word, the meaning of which can be translated as either "to pick up", "to single out ", or "to reap or harvest." It accurately describes the motions of a weaver when singling out and picking up certain warp yarns which, when the weft yarn is passed through the totality of the warp, will be left on the surface to eventually form particular designs and patterns. Pallay is used to designate those areas of a weaving that consist of warp-faced designs which stand out in relief from those remaining areas which generally consist of plain weave or plain weave stripes. By extension, individual designs and symbols are termed "Pallay".
But a Pallay is more than just a design dictated by the motions and mechanics of warp faced weaving or the back strap loom. Through these motions the weaver recreates patterns and motifs which have been repeatedly woven through countless generations. The designs thus produced are graphic expressions of his/her universe and daily life.
It is true that certain basic patterns, such as diamonds and zigzags occur spontaneously as a consequence of the vertical disposition of elements in warp faced weaving. But the mind and the skill of the weaver further embellishes and alters those basic shapes into reality-specific symbols: Diamonds patterns then become "Inti" (the sun), or "Chaska" (a star), or "Ñawi" (the eye). Zigzags transform into terraced, cultivated hillsides ("Pata"), meandering rivers ("Kenko Mayu"), or a creeping snake ("Amaru").
Certain Pallay seem to be generalized throughout the Andean Regions of Peru and Bolivia; others are characteristic only of specific areas. Regional differences in styles are defined both through the use of different Pallay and through the use of different color combinations used to render a same Pallay. Stylistic differences between neighboring villages may seem minimal to the untrained eye (though evident to residents), whereas differences between distant villages and areas may be pronounced and easily discerned. Historically associated communities continue to weave similar color combinations and pallay in spite of modern political borders, frontiers and divisions. While other communities, separated only by a few kilometers of terrain, continue to weave in completely different styles. This implies a geography of weaving defined by complementary warp threads rather than by politics. Major ethnographic styles, however, seem to be defined by standard geographical features such as mountain chains and river watersheds.
The following is an assorted collection of Andean Textiles and Textile-related images from various collections and sources:
