MUSEO DE ARTE INDIGENA (ASUR)

The ASUR Foundation's Museum of Indigenous Art features a collection of archaeological finds, textiles, musical instruments and ceramics dating from 500 to 2000 years ago. It was inaugurated in 1986 as part of the Bolivian Indigenous Art Revival Program. Its main aim is to revitalize traditional textiles and generate complementary resources in indigenous communities. Today, it employs over 800 women weavers and 200 tapestry-makers and embroiderers. The main exhibition features tapestries from communities in the Jalq'a region (northeast of Sucre), Tinguipaya (northern Potosí highlands) and Tarabuco (southeast of Sucre), also known as "Yampara". Visitors can learn how Bolivia's most admirable and renowned fabrics are made. Worthy of world heritage status for their mastery, beauty and profound meaning, these works are part of a priceless artistic and social heritage. The museum has 9 exhibition rooms. Four are devoted to ethnographic textiles, while the other five deal with shamanic rituals and funerary practices of the Tiwanaku period. A video area presents the various dances and ceremonies of the region (including pujllay). Visitors are invited to read the labels of each work to learn more about their contexts, meanings and elaboration. These informative texts are written in Spanish, and for those who don't speak the language, simply ask the staff at reception for the translated texts (French, English, Portuguese, Italian and German). The rooms and spaces are pleasantly laid out: this is undoubtedly one of the finest museums in the country. Its quiet, impeccably tended garden is the perfect place for an afternoon stroll in the sun, a quiet diary entry or a picnic with friends. Please note: the museum will close its doors from 12.30 to 2.30 p.m., so that its employees can go to lunch. So it's best to arrive early in the morning to avoid being caught out after just a few minutes. However, if you keep your entrance ticket, you'll have no trouble re-entering to complete the remaining exhibition rooms. Finally, you can buy superb textiles, tapestries, leather bags, wallets and ceramics in the boutique at the entrance. Inside, you'll find a weaver working on a sumptuous jalq'a hanging. Here, you can see how these legendary fabrics are traditionally made. As you might have guessed, this is the perfect time to pick up an authentic, delightful travel souvenir that respects the characteristics of fair trade and sustainable development. All credit cards accepted.

Textiles from Tinkipaya. Tinguipaya, with over 30,000 inhabitants, is considered one of Bolivia's poorest municipalities. Their brightly colored patterns (zigzags, rhombuses and other geometric shapes) evoke the world above, called "Glory". They appear more abstract than those of Tarabuco and Jalq'a.

Jalq'a textiles. The motifs of Jalq'a fabrics have a particularly complex symbolism, referring to the founding myths of the group's ethnic identity. In stark contrast to tarabuco fabrics, jalq'a tapestries are characterized by a predominance of the figurative and an almost total absence of non-figurative geometries. The designs illustrate a mythical world of disorder and chaos. In a palette of deliberately darkened hues, devoid of contrasts, the weavers conjure up fabulous animals called "khurus", wild and untamable. Some are easily recognizable, such as owls or toads, while others have an improbable anatomy.

Textiles from Tarabuco. Most of the communities to the east, north and southeast of Sucre practice the same style of weaving known as "tarabuco". Of all the garments woven in this region, the one with the most complex technique is the "aqsu", a kind of cape worn by women. The designs of tarabuco aqsu are very different from those of jalq'a. Their motifs are woven in symmetrical bands, giving the impression of a certain order. Their themes are of two kinds: either repetitive abstract elements, or icons (animals, human beings, everyday or festive objects). Tarabucos reflect in miniature their realities and the landscapes they dominate. The motifs are woven from sheep's wool, dyed in bright colors to contrast with the white cotton background. In this way, not only the color, but also the texture of the wool (which makes the figures appear in relief) enhances every detail. Tarabuco weavings play not only with contrasts, but also with gradations of color, especially the men's ponchos, which feature large spaces where the color gently fades.