Cumbi
Also: qompi, cumbe
Cumbi is the finest cloth of the Inka Empire, tapestry-woven from high-grade camelid fiber under state control and worn by those the state favored.
Cumbi (also qompi) is the finest category of Inka cloth. The Met's essay on Andean textiles describes it as woven from high-grade alpaca fiber, with state officials closely controlling its production, use and design, and only a designated few permitted to wear it.
Who wove it?
Sources differ. The Met says a select group of female and male weavers worked in residential centers and outposts across the empire. The Cleveland Museum of Art names women of noble families, professional weavers and the aclla, and the National Gallery of Australia's exhibition notes name male cumbicamayos for checkerboard tunics.
How was cloth graded?
A secondary summary (World History Encyclopedia) lists chusi, awasqa and qompi grades; treat that scheme as provisional until checked against John Murra and Ann Pollard Rowe. Fine cumbi became unku and other garments given as state gifts.
Sources
- Andean Textiles. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Tunic, c. 1400–1540 (1957.136). The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Inca Textiles. World History Encyclopedia
See also
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