Although the basket-weaving process in pre-Hispanic Andes is not yet fully understood, recent research conducted at Castillo de Huarmey provides new insights into this ancient craft. The baskets found in the burials are rectangular, several centimeters high, had a rectangular lid attached with a cord, and were decorated with threads of camelid wool. They were made from cane stems, cut lengthwise with a knife. These narrow splints were then arranged with their cut sides facing each other at a 90-degree angle. The structural elements were connected using a cotton cord covered with resin, thus forming the bottom, sides, and lid of the small boxes. Finally, the six rectangular walls were arranged parallel to each other to build a casket. Thick cane stems were tied to the shorter edges, serving as the legs of the box. To strengthen the construction, the joints between the walls were additionally sealed with adhesive.
Each of the side walls and the lid are adorned with yarn made from camelid wool. The colorful threads create patterns in red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, green, and brown, which characterize both the official Wari art and regional products whose decoration reflects the local landscape. Noteworthy are the depictions of figures with scepters and goblets, as well as fantastic hybrids symbolizing power, which emphasized the authority of the Wari nobles.
It is possible that the use of specific colors and iconographic motifs in the production of the baskets was strictly controlled by the ruling elites of Castillo de Huarmey. The preparation of cane boxes for deceased elite women required exceptional manual skills, knowledge, and the ability to plan compositions well. Miniature basket walls, which displayed not only artistic craftsmanship but also the color range and iconographic motifs of the artisan, may have played a significant role in the decoration process. Similar to waraña—the weaving tools used by the Aymara people in Bolivia—these patterns could have been used to organize colors, patterns, and encode design blocks for baskets. These templates facilitated the artisans’ work, allowing them to transfer the design onto the basket walls more accurately and quickly and to scale it as needed.
Emanuela Rudnicka