Peruvian Weavings For Sale

A fifth-generation Peruvian weaver born in the Andes; Maximo Laura has become the most notable textile artist in South America. An award-winning, unique tapestry creator, Mr. Laura has had his art displayed in over 140 exhibitions in more than 29 countries, and creates new work from his home studio in Lima – a multi-storied residence, studio and museum that has housed Mr. Laura and his Peruvian weavings for sale, as well as Master Weavers trained by Mr. Laura, since 1998.

Interweaving Andean heritage, mythology and symbolism with contemporary art, the Peruvian tapestry that Maximo Laura creates are unique pieces that encompass the traditional with the modern in a physical representation of his drive to learn more about art and history outside the borders of Peru.

From the earliest known tribes living in Peru, tapestries and Perivuan weaving have been an intrinsic part of the culture and history of the country. Learning more about this heritage will help you to understand the symbology of the tapestries available to buy online.

As the home of authentic Peruvian weavings, Maximo Laura’s online gallery is the perfect place to find a unique Peruvian weaving for sale that suits your home, office or other space.

Maximo Laura is an award-winning Peruvian tapestry weaver that specializes in combining ancestral weaving techniques with contemporary art and design to create unique textiles that speak to the rich history of Peru. A fifth-generation weaver, Mr. Laura grew up in Ayacucho, Peru, where he began a lifelong study of art history and literature beyond the borders of South America. This knowledge, combined with inherited history, myths, rituals and techniques have allowed Mr. Laura to become not only a pre-eminent artist in his own right, with more than 140 exhibitions of his work, but also a trusted consultant, designer, and lecturer on art.

With the traditional methods and modern twists on ancestral themes, the Peruvian weavings for sale from Maximo Laura offer a unique, striking way to introduce the totemic art into your space, no matter where it might be.

Having grown up in Peru, Mr. Laura moved to Lima where he continued his art. He created a home workshop in Lima in 1998, and this Museo Maximo Laura is a place where the collection of his most important and richest artistic visions can encourage and inspire. With a second Museo Maximo Laura opening in Cusco in 2013, there are now over 200 tapestries on display; to promote, exhibit and preserve the unique art of Maximo Laura.

This is not the only place that displays art by the prominent weaver. The Peruvian weavings online that you see on our site are designed by Maximo Laura himself, and are similar to tapestries that are on display in museums across the world, like:

• The Museum of Iberoamerican Craft, Spain
• The Museum of the Americas in Miami
• The Latvian National Museum of Art

Maximo Laura’s weavings have promoted Peruvian contemporary art on an international stage – with examples at the World Bank in Washington DC and the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

The earliest weavings have been traced back to 1000BC, when the indigenous Chavin people created tapestries and other woven items using looms. The designs were mainly realistic depictions of humans and animals, along with geometric patterns and transformational, supernatural beings. The Chavin influence in Maximo Laura’s work can be seen in the expressive and totemic designs that inform many of his visions.

Later, the Moche people began weaving Peruvian symbols into their tapestries, with animal/human motifs that still had features of realism. The artwork that has been found from this period always show moving figures, walking, running, engaged in rituals and other activities – nothing is ever static. Landscapes are depicted using geometric patterns and shapes – circles for lakes, zig zags for mountains, and the animals are often symbolic of other realms or ideations.

While the Moche people were ending their dominance of Peru, the Wari began creating more abstract designs – plants like the San Pedro cactus and animals like the llama, so important to their culture, still featured, but the way they were represented became distorted and almost unrecognizable. Some say this was a representation of drug-induced trances that were an important part of Wari religious ceremonies, or shamanic transformations.

The Chimu were the people that were in Peru from 1100AD until around 1450AD. With their weavings, they began to incorporate exotic feather designs, and images often included figures wearing intricate headdresses (maybe to represent the ruling class) and double-headed rainbow snakes.

Perhaps the most internationally recognized indigenous people of Peru were the Incas. Their textile traditions moved away from realistic representations of animals and humans, in fact they preferred repetitive, geometric designs. The checkerboard designs that are seen in Inca weavings are symbolic of fields, crops and farms, and repetition of shapes were a theme throughout this period. When it came to creating art, pottery and metalwork were well-known, but tapestries and textiles were highly thought of and used nanosat as currency – communities would create tapestries to pay taxes, so some Peruvian textiles for sale have patterns and shapes became the ‘signature’ of the area or community that created it.

In Maximo Laura’s work, the symbols and patterns used are the same that have informed Peruvian weaving patterns since the beginning of the Andean people’s history.

Certain beliefs of the Peruvian people are shown in several ways through the symbols used in the tapestries.

The three realms – Hanan Pacha, the celestial realm, Kay Pacha, the earthly realm and Uku Pacha, the inner realms – have specific symbolic representations.8

The Hanan Pacha is represented by the sun and moon, by stars and flying beings, like the condor. The Kay Pacha is shown with animals like the Jaguar and human representations, and the Uku Pacha is represented by snakes and roots, encompassing things such as new life, fertility and death.

Other symbols include the Inca Cross, known as the Chakana. This symbol has three steps on each side, which are believed to represent the Pachas, and is a symbol of union between the three realms.

For more information about the symbology used in Maximo Laura Tapestries, there are more detail on the product pages in our Catalog, which also includes some information on the creative process used to create the tapestry masterpieces. If you would like to choose your perfect tapestry for sale online, browse the catalog now.

Each weaving created by Maximo Laura has a set process. With inspiration taken from his surroundings, childhood and stories from his Peruvian heritage, Mr. Laura often creates in ‘themes’ – perhaps inspired by the ocean around his Lima home or Andean mythology from his ancestors. They can take many months to complete, depending on size and complexity.

The tapestry begins as a small drawing. The drawing is then taken to be colorized, using pencils or a computer. The colored image goes to the Color Laboratory, where individual threads of colors are hand blended to create ‘butterflies’ of yarn. This process involves mixing solid color threads to match the required tones, making the finished tapestry bright and vibrant.

The initial colorized drawing is then scaled up to the required size. This ‘cartoon’ is transferred to the cotton warp threads on the loom so that the weaver can see which sections of tapestry need different textures and techniques.

Each tapestry is handwoven on a floor loom and are completed by Master Weavers who have been specially chosen and trained by Mr. Laura himself.

If you would like more information about the Peruvian textiles, or to find the perfect Peruvian weaving for sale to suit your home, please get in touch so we can assist you and begin the process.