TYING AN ANDEAN WAIST SASH
By
Lorenzo Fritz-Francisco
2012
Hacienda Korimangasa, Kupini, Bolivia
INTRODUCTION
A version of this article was originally published in 2011 as Investigaciones Culturales de Bolivia:
Miscellaneous Cultural Notes XXII, La Paz, Bolivia. The author gives his sincere thanks to Joel
Torrez Apaza and Raul Puma Laime for their assistance in generating this article. This information
was deemed necessary following innumerable unabashed public dance performances in Bolivia
and elsewhere utilizing indigenous sashes in multifarious, improper fashion. These included
securing hand-woven sashes with the use of straight pins, safety pins, topo pins, buckles, separate
wrapped strings, metal wires and even fingers. In point of fact, traditional Andean waist sashes
require no separate gadgets or support for their use.
HOW TO WEAR A TYPICAL ANDEAN SASH
Traditional Andean waist sashes (including chumpi, wak'a, yapisa, et al.) basically consist of a
long, woven textile body and two end-ties usually composed of braided yarn or hair, simple twisted
yarn or hand-woven strips. Sashes are tied around the waist in four simple steps:
1. The sash is stretched horizontally and placed in the small of the back with the end ties
hanging loose.
2. One end of the sash is wrapped around the front or side of the waist and held in place by
ones’ fingers while the other end is wrapped in the opposite direction around the waist
overlapping and securing the first end. The end ties continue to hang loose. In the case of
very long sashes, the overlapping end may be wrapped several times around the waist.
3. Once the overlapping end is wrapped to the maximum extent around the waist, the two tie
ends are pulled in opposite directions and they too are wrapped around the waist,
overlapping the body of the sash.
4. The end ties are crossed in a half knot leaving just enough extra length to be tied securely,
usually in a half-shoelace bow or square knot. The end ties may be crossed for tying at any
place along the waist but most Andean natives prefer to tie their sashes at the front or side
of their waists.
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A typical Andean waist sash
illustrating a hand-woven body and
two end ties.
STEP 1. The sash is stretched and placed at the
small of the back.
STEP 2a. One end is wrapped around the waist and
held in place with fingers.
STEP 2b. The opposite end is wrapped
over the first securing it tightly.
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STEP 3a. The end ties are pulled in
opposite directions.
STEP 3b. The end ties are wrapped
around the waist and over the body
of the sash.
STEP 4b. Detail showing the end ties
secured with a half-shoelace bow.
STEP 4a. The end ties are crossed
and tied, securing the sash in place.
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