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Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings (Read 11106 times)
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Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Oct 7th, 2003 at 2:46am
 
Hello all. 

I just spent some time today looking for pictures of Peruvian slings online, and didn't find any new ones.  What I did find where a few outlets that import Peruvian textiles for sale into the USA.  I wrote 3 of them inquiring if they could import slings for those of us interested here at www.slinging.org. ; I just received a reply this evening from: 

Daniel Samanez
Andean Art
http://www.andeanart.com
Wholesale Andean Handicrafts and Alpaca Products Directly From the Andes 

He seemed very interested.  He said that his father was raised in Peru and had been slinging his whole life.  That he often had slings pass through his hands, though he wasn't really a collector.  He also said that his father knew where to purchase wool slings directly from the Peruvian sling makers and that he would be able to obtain slings for us.  He's going to get back to me on what the price would be and on the specifics as soon as he can find out.  I'm trying in turn to express to him what type of interest there will be and what particularly we would be interested in.  Maybe everything huh?!   

I believe that given the fact that the Peruvian slings are high quality, for most of us price is the issue and I let him know this.  I put about 20 hours of skilled labor into my last sling and I couldn't sell it for any type of price that would be low enough to generate interest here among even those most fanatical about slings.  But the Peruvians are in a different situation I believe.  I think that international business wouldn't be bad for them in the least.  And their prices wouldn't be so high.  AndeanArt.com is a wholesale importer, so I'm hoping their prices will be reasonable and not just reasonable but attractive.       

Now to get you guys excited as I am, if you aren't already.  I have great hopes that indeed the quality of the slings will be high, and that the prices will be attractive, and that accordingly we will be interested enough to make purchases.  And then in turn, they will be interested enough in continued business to be able to keep a variety of designs and styles of slings in stock.  Which will in turn generate more interest with us and turn some of us into bigger collectors.  I have a dream.  That someday Alpaca wool Peruvian slings will be easy to obtain, yeah even custom made!  Ok maybe my dream is a bit far fetched but I hope that it comes true anyway. 

Now for my rant about Peruvian slings.  The nostalgia, the cultural heritage, the authenticity, the functionality.  I'm interested myself though I can make them. Peruvian slings are the highest development of slings anywhere.  The braids are so elaborate that it wasn't until the late 70's when we here in the USA discovered how to replicate even some of them, and that for non sling purposes.  A few analytical souls learned directly through only partially willing natives. 

I read in an old book about the Spanish conquest of Peru.  There were reports as to how deadly the Peruvians were with their slings.  One guy talked about a Peruvian sling stone shattering a sword blade, and that the locals bragged that they had a sling that could kill a horse.  I've seen numerous pictures in Sling Braiding of The Andes, and some of the work is staggering.  Their work surpasses my own by a long ways!  It's a part of their culture.  It's so entrenched that they even make nonfunctional dancing slings with nonfunctional pouches.  In Quechua (The Peruvian language) they are called q'aqchawaraq'a waraq'a. The herding slings (stone slings) are called michina waraq'a.  waraq'a means sling.  To this day their culture uses them for herding and still in the festivals and dances.

There are several different styles of Peruvian slings. Distinctly I know of the Macusani style, and the Ilave style.  Both have split cradles.  The Macusani has one wider retention cord without a finger loop, and one narrower release cord.  The Ilave, I think, is the most beautiful.  It is the style I tried to emulate with my sling making.  The Ilave uses the finger loop and on either side of the cradle is a complex and beautiful, often entrancing braid, done in sometimes up to 24 strands.  Then they transistion into a more standard 16 strand braid of narrower diameter. 

Anyway, I don't know exactly what Andean Art will be able to get for us but I'm hopeful.  Let me know what type of interest we have here?  I think that will factor in some to what happens on the other end.  Of course none of us are promising any purchases but if we are interested I think that Andean Art will put more effort into getting us what we want.

Waraq'a! that was long!

                                                Ben
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #1 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 8:28am
 
Lets try that again--somehow I hit a key that automatically posted.

Ben, thanks for your efforts. I am excited too about the Peruvian slings. The importer, I will bet, is going to up the price some but hopefully it will still be a reasonable one. I was just reading about the Spanish / Peruvian encounters..swords and      horses... Amazing weapon!
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #2 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 11:30am
 
Very cool! I have an Uncle that's going down to Peru this Thursday and I'm going to have him look for a sling for me. He's an engineer that's working on some mining projects down there and hopefully will be up in the smaller mountain communities where the slings are used. I'm excited to see if he can find one!  8)
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #3 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 12:56pm
 
Smiley I would love to buy a sling. do you have any pitures so i can see what they look like.
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #4 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 2:18pm
 
In the picture gallery here at Slinging.org they have some pictures of Peruvian slings.  They look similar to the sling I made.  You can see the post about my New Andean Sling.  There are also some links to some pictures of Peruvian slings in the links page.  But I'm not certain yet exactly what they will look like because every one will be different and the quality is up the the sling maker etc....  When they write me back I'll post more information. 

                                         Ben
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Chris
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #5 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 4:19pm
 
I'm definitely interested, but I think the cost would be prohibitive. 

Keep us posted.  Perhaps the guy would cut us a deal if we ordered a few.  Maybe an official slinging.org seal and link would add to the deal. 

Chris
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #6 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 4:46pm
 
Chris,

Yeah I'm not sure what the cost will be.  I wrote 3 different importers and 2 have now replied.  The first seems promising (Andeanart.com) and was mentioned above. 

The second just wrote and said that they could get me slings at $4.00 a piece!  But that I would need to order $150 worth to make the deal and they wouldn't be available till January.  That's 38 slings worth.  I told them I may be personally interested if I saw a good picture of the product.  I would sell them myself.  At $4 a piece with a little mark up for my investment, we may have good slings at a good price.  But it does depend on quality in this case.  Because I'm sorry but I wasn't expecting a price that low!  It takes half a week to make a good sling from what I know.  And even in Peru they can't work that cheap can they? 

AndeanArt.com sounds more promising to me but we'll see. 

                                         Ben
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #7 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 8:55pm
 
Quote:
 And even in Peru they can't work that cheap can they?  


You'd be suprised. My Aunt came back from there and was saying you could get pottery for under $1, large woven blankets for ~ $10-$15 and numerous other things that would be very expensive back here in the States for very cheap...
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #8 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 9:50pm
 
Luke,

Are you taking orders? I am serious. If your uncle finds a split pouch woven sling I would like to buy one if he was able to contact you and let you know how much they were. Is that a possability?
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #9 - Oct 7th, 2003 at 11:48pm
 
I'll see what I can do. Like I said he's going down there for business and he'll just keep his eyes open for one. He may find some, he may not... no guarantees  Undecided

I'll shoot him a reminder email and I'll get back with you all if he comes up with anything....   Wink
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #10 - Oct 8th, 2003 at 9:02am
 
Hey, put me down for one as well!! Grin  Anything to get my hands on one!

Rob
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #11 - Oct 8th, 2003 at 10:18pm
 
I just received a reply from Daniel Samanez about the slings.  Here is his reply.

Hello Ben,

The ones we have here are like the ones I’m sending you in this photo I got it from the www.slinging.org/gallery.html

...


My father told me he got the ones he had on his travels to the Andes some years ago when he was working there. They are not available here in Lima where we are based.

Will try to get them ASAP and will let you know about price and shipping. Please give us a couple of weeks to find them.

Best,

Daniel Samanez
Andean Art
http://www.andeanart.com
US toll free number: 1-877-4460649
Wholesale Andean Handicrafts and Alpaca Products Directly From the Andes 



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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #12 - Oct 9th, 2003 at 2:05pm
 
Did he find the site, or did you tell him about it?  I know were ranked very well in several different search engines.

Looks promising.  We'll see how pricing pans out.
Chris
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #13 - Oct 9th, 2003 at 2:30pm
 
Chris,

I told him about it in my first email to him.  His recognition of the style of sling he's seen before is what's really encouraging me.  That's the style I like.  I hope this all works out.

                                   Ben
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Re: Imported Peruvian Split Cradle Slings
Reply #14 - Oct 9th, 2003 at 3:18pm
 
Boy, me too!  If it does, you will earn the title of the coolest guy on the forum!  Yeah, honorary title, but hey, it's something!

Rob - who desperately wants one of those slings
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