Sweden to return Paracas textile collection to Peru

22 Oct '13

2 min read

The Municipal Council of the city of Gothenburg in Sweden has agreed to approve the Peruvian Government’s request to return a very important collection of textiles and garments belonging to the Paracas culture, according to a statement from the Peruvian Ministry of External Relations (MRE).

The 89-piece collection of Paracas textiles made their way to Sweden at the beginning of the last century, and they were then donated to the Department of Ethnology Museum by Sven Karell Gothenburg, who served as Consul of the Kingdom of Sweden in Peru.

The collection includes a ‘Manto Calendar’, which is the only piece of three-dimensional textile of Paracas culture preserved to date, and that, according to archaeologist Julio C. Tello, shows the biological cycles of flora and fauna as well as crafts and customs of Paracas society.

The collection also includes a fine Poncho and fringed tunic, which like the ‘Manto Calendar’, are unique in their style worldwide.

Peru’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Eda Rivas Franchini welcomed the decision of the Gothenburg authorities and said it was the culmination of the long process of continuous efforts made by the Peruvian Government, through the Ministries of External Relations and Culture, restoring one of the most valuable cultural assets of Peru’s history.

Paracas textiles have natural colours of pure Alpaca ranging from grey, white and beige to brown and black.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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