Coin Purse, Accha Alta, Peru

A hand knit coin purse with crochet or looped bobble decorations made in Accha Alta, Peru, a small Andean community located about 2 hours north of Cusco, Peru.  

I purchased this coin purse in Cusco in 2017 at the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco.  (https://www.textilescusco.org).  The CTTC, established in 1996, preserves and sustains the artists of Peruvian Inca textiles and their diverse communities throughout the region by providing a venue for them to demonstrate, exhibit, and sell their work.  

The purse is made of hand spun, hand dyed Alpaca yarn.  I recall from my visit that the dyes used are all traditional dyes, including plant dyes.  The knitted gauge is very fine -- approximately 10 stitches and 10 rows to 1".  

Artist: Margarita Huaman Puma, b. 1986

I often purchase local textiles as a way to remember places I have visited. Studying textiles made for and collected by travelers to various regions of the globe throughout history is endlessly fascinating.