Belt

About this object

History of use

This is part of the costume that is worn by a group of men who dance and play musical instruments at a fiesta on March 12th which celebrates the heroes and mourns the fallen of the Jumbate battle which was fought in the 19th Century during the war for independence from Spain. The Pujllay dancers wear this belt above their wide, leather 'cinterone'. The semi-circle can be tucked inside the everyday belt and the bells cascade over the front.

Narrative

The leather was bought from Incarnacion Zarate, the shoe maker in Tarabuco, which is the market town approximately 25 kilometres from Candelaria, on June 19, 1983. The bells were bought from a street vendor in Sucre, named Alisia de Choquehuanca on June 21, 1983. Incarnacion makes the leather items like shoes and belts for many surrounding villages like Candelaria. The bells come from Potosi, a mining town in Bolivia.

Cultural context

Worn by men; Pujllay festival

Physical description

Brown-red leather belt with ten heavy bronze bells hanging from the front. Front of belt is apron-shaped, with two waist straps and a buckle attached at the sides. A dark brown horse design with a geometric border is incised on the front of the belt, along with decorative metal eyelets. The bells are attached to the belt with strips of brown leather.