Mesa cloths, Qero Mestanas and other original weavings for mesa, ceremony, or display

Scroll down to see our current inventory of mestanas from the Q'ero and
other regions of the Andes in Peru.

The cloths in this column are sized for mesas or holding your medicine bundle




19 in X 28 in (sized for a mesa)
$95.00 plus $6.00 shipping
mestana or mesa cloth
black and red
new or like new condition, no sign of wear
SKU # PM450825
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Pay SKU # PM450825 via PayPal.....click here


14 x 36 inch runner
SKU# C200821
$49.00 plus $7.00 shipping
Fine original work with Andean symbols.
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Pay for SKU# 
C200821 via PayPal ..... click here





15 x 61 inch runner   SKU# C450821           $89.00 plus $8.00 shipping
Gentle colors, high thread count detail.  Click image for larger view.
Pay for SKU# 
C450821 via PayPal ..... click here



24 x 34 inch mestana
SKU# CP950927
$179.00 plus $8.00 shipping
Closely woven. Lovely subtle natural colors.
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Pay for SKU# 
CP950927 via PayPal ..... click here


13 x 40 inch runner
SKU# C300821
$79.00 plus $6.00 shipping
Closely woven. Lovely subtle natural colors.
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Pay for SKU# 
C300821 via PayPal ..... click here


  
28 x 28 inch mestana
SKU# N70098
$179.00 plus $8.00 shipping
Closely woven. Lovely subtle natural colors.
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Pay for SKU# 
N70098 via PayPal ..... click here






24 x 23 inch mesa cloth
SKU# P400817
$179.00 plus $8.00 shipping
Closely woven. Lovely subtle natural colors.
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Pay for SKU#P400817 
 via PayPal ..... click here




Lliklla is the Quechua term for a mesa cloth. A specific cloth that holds sacred objects.

Q'ero textiles. The ceremonial cloths of the Q'ero people are distinctive and quickly recognized. Red, black, and white tend to predominate. The patterns are variations on diamonds, which are usually said to represent the sun, inti. We don't pretend to be able to "read" one of these amazing cloths, but here is a little of what the shapes are said to represent. 

One theme is that the cloth may be about place. 
  • A broad band can be a river, which acts as a boundary.
  • A sawtooth pattern looks a bit like a range of mountains.
  • The diamond shapes with repeated parallel lines are sometimes said to represent landholdings. Remember that the Inka empire was divided into four quarters (tawatinsuyu). As Pachamama is central to life, the characteristics of one's land, one's place, may take on a greater significance than we would be used to in North American culture.
The "ch'unchu", or jungle dancer, formed of diagonal lines making up the legs and wild hair, is said to represent Q'ero forebearers. It's thought that the Q'ero peoples migrated from the Amazon basin to their present high-altitude homeland. The ch'uncho is a very old motif. Its use today may represent an honoring of pre-conquest values. 
Here it is seen on this pottery vessel, carrying a flag with diamond shapes. (Interestingly, this vessel is called a "q'ero". And "q'ero" can also mean "source". Hence the Q'ero people consider their heritage to be "the source" of Andean mystical tradition.)






















 







In this column the cloths are bigger.  These larger cloths are perfect for
ceremony, despacho or display


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41 in x 43 inch
$195.00 plus $8.00 shipping
Lovely, soft, finely made ceremonial/despacho cloth
navy and red colors, lovely fine patterns
very good condition, slight signs of wear
SKU# P850816
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Pay for SKU# P850816 via PayPal .... click here







29 in x 33 inch
SKU# P800927
$195.00 plus $8.00 shipping
Remarkable cloth featuring a range of earth colors.
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Pay for SKU# P800927 via PayPal .... click here










32 in x 30 inch despacho cloth
SKU#P1200819
$185.00 plus $8.00 shipping
Soft blues and reds.
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Pay for SKU# P1200819 via PayPal ..... click here







32 in x 30 inch despacho cloth
SKU# X1155
$135.00 plus $8.00 shipping
This antique cloth has probably held many despachos. It has a worn place. See detail.
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Pay for SKU# X1155via PayPal ..... click here


             








































































We purchase hand woven textiles including mestanas, despacho cloths, and mesa bags in the Sacred Valley of Peru. Every area has its own distinctive patterns. A cloth from Pisac or Ollantaytambo will be distinct from one from Chinchero or Q'eros. They are made of wool from sheep, llama and alpaca. Some of the cloths we sell  have been previously used in ceremony or for other purposes that an Andean family might have such as carrying belongings, infants, food, or as shawls to protect against the high Andean wind.


Small looms and hand looms are often set up in the field, so that time spent with the grazing animals has a double use. These are hand made on small looms without the use of foot pedals and harnesses. Other pieces may be worked in the home, and intricate patterns are worked by lifting each thread separately. Finely-woven items may take a week or two per running foot.

Sheering, dyeing, carding and spinning the wool are also by-hand operations
.