Anaku (Aqsu, Aksu) was a
skirt
A skirt is the lower part of a dress or a separate outer garment that covers a person from the waist downwards.
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of fabric (such as pareos). However, most skirts are fi ...
-type garment of indigenous women in the
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...
. It was a long drape dress straight in shape, falling to ankle length.
Style
Anaku was a typical dress of
Andean
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...
women. It was a long rectangular piece of
woven cloth wool fibers, a simple
draping garment. The traditional wearing style of
Otavalo women was different, as they were wearing it with a blouse. An ankle-length anaku (as an underskirt) was wrapped over with another anku.
Evolution
The full-body Anaku evolved to half-body Anaku in certain areas. Initially, the anaku was larger, that changed with generations; the length of the garment became shorter and changed to half of the ancestral version. It is still a costume that
Otavalo people
The Otavalos are an indigenous people native to the Andean mountains of Imbabura Province in northern Ecuador. The Otavalos also inhabit the city of Otavalo in that province. Commerce and handcrafts are among the principal economic activities of ...
wore. Anku was tied around the waist with a sash called
''chumbi
'' or
''chumpi
'' or
''Chumpia
''. There was a similar type but ankle-length garment
''aksu
'' that was worn in Southern parts. Anaku as a wrap skirt still worn around Northern
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
.
See also
*
Uncu
Uncu (Unku) was a men's garment of the Inca Empire. It was an upper-body garment of knee-length; Royals wore it with a mantle cloth called '' yacolla.'' Women wore a long dress known as an anaku.
Structure
Uncu was similar to a long tunic, ra ...
, a men's garment of the Inca Empire
*
Tocapu
Tocapu (Tocapo or Tokapu) was a decorative artwork with discrete geometrical motifs. It was associated with Andean textiles, especially for the use of the Royals' clothing. Tocapu was also painted on wooden boards.
Motifs
Tocapu was an integra ...
, geometrical motifs used by Incas
*
Cumbi
Cumbi (Qunpi, Qompi, Kumpi) was a fine luxurious fabric of the Inca Empire. Elites used to offer cumbi to the rulers, and it was a reserved cloth for Royalty. Common people were not allowed to use Cumbi. Cumbi was a phenomenal textile art of Ande ...
, a fine luxurious fabric of the Inca Empire
References
Clothing
Indigenous textile art of the Americas
Dresses
Inca Empire
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