The Llama Museum

During our weekend trip to Pisaq, one of our stops was a museum dedicated to our favorite Andean animals, the llama and the alpaca. The museum focused on the raising of the animals as well as traditional methods of creating textiles from alpaca fur. Because the Incans and other pre-Colombian people in the Andes did not have cows or sheep like the Europeans did, alpacas and llamas were crucial to their culture for food, transportation, and clothing.

For those who don't know the difference, there are several important differences between llamas and alpacas. One is that llamas have curved ears, while alpacas have straight, short ears. Another is that llamas have longer faces than alpacas. Lastly, alpaca meat can be delicious, but llama meat is too tough to eat.

The first part of the museum were some exhibits of various breeds of alpacas and llamas. I was very surprised at how friendly they were and how they were so eager to eat plants out of our hands. Additionally, there were some slender, antelope-like vicunas among the animals exhibited. I was afraid that one of the animals was going to spit on me because I hadn't bought a change of clothes for the weekend trip, but luckily that never happened.

The second part of the museum was about the creation of textiles using llama fur from traditional methods. There was also a demonstration of how natural colors were dyed onto the fabric. The guide showed what materials would lead to what colors. What surprised me is that red colors came from crushing cochineal, a type of insect. The resulting dye would be mixed with other ingredients to change the shade of red produced. Another thing that surprised me was how muted the natural colors compared to the bright neon colors often associated with traditional Peruvian clothing. In reality, such colors would not be possible in the Incans time. Instead, the colors they would have worn would have been muted blues, reds, and yellows.

Visiting the museum was very informative on the effort required to spin a piece of fabric from alpaca fur by hand. It is a very labor-intensive process that can take several weeks to complete, which is very different than the cheap modern clothes we expect to be produced at hundreds at a time.

In the gift shop, I saw that a single scarf could be $100, which is way more expensive than the clothes I'm used to. That means that there was no way scarves marketed as “baby alpaca” fur in the Pisaq marketplace for 25 soles (about $8) could be the real deal. Thus, if you're getting an alpaca scarf in the area and you think it's too good to be true, the truth is probably you're just getting a synthetic, factory-produced scarf. Buyers beware!

This visit to the museum gave me hope that traditional Andean textile methods can be preserved despite the rise of modern manufacturing. Even though we can get clothes and blankets cheaper than ever, there is still something special about owning a piece of fabric created by hand. Furthermore, as textile making is an important part of Andean culture, it deserves to be kept alive for that reason alone.