The Peruvians have a long, complex history and tradition influenced by many cultures.
In the ancient past they produced some exquisite woven pieces and the finest of the old textiles that have been discovered in Peru used tapestry-weaving techniques. The Inca had standardized treatments for their tunics, which were often produced in plain weave with tapestry elements set into the cloth. The Peruvians have traditionally woven shirts and tunics of great style and beauty as well as bags, tobacco pouches, belts and straps.
The expertise of the Peruvian weavers in the twentieth century has been devoted to a technique in which the warp face is seen and the weft concealed, which gives a quality rather different from other tapestry weaves. Most pieces are produced as wall-hangings, some of them quite small, with a naïve quality about the images.