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Crisantino Montes
& His Tapestry Art
Step 1: The process begins with raw alpaca fur.
Step 2: The wool is washed, hand-spun into fine thread and washed again. This process takes anywhere
from 5 days to one month.
The colors of the rainbow and parrots inspire Crisantino’s color choices. Many other elements of
nature, such as fish and tadpoles, inspire his designs. A sense of his ancestral culture and
tradition shows in his contemporary pieces.
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Crisantino began spinning wool at age 8. His parents taught him while living in Cangallo,
a little town in the Andes of Peru.
Step 3: Thread is colored using 100% natural dyes.
With three years of studies in chemical engineering, Crisantino has become an expert on natural
dying. He uses a variety of local plants, minerals and cochinilla to develop an impressive range
of vibrant colors.
Step 4: Small bundles of colored thread are prepared for the loom.
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Dimensions: 4x5 ft. It takes approximately 15-20 days to spin enough wool to make a tapestry
of this size. The weaving will take an additional 1-2 months.
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His additional studies in mathematics have helped develop his unique style. He creates his elaborate
geometric patterns on paper first, to use as a guide in the weaving process.
Crisantino sketches his ideas on paper first.
A close-up of the woven tapestry based on the sketch shown above.
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Crisantino and his wife, Claudia.
Claudia’s father introduced Crisantino to the art of weaving. Claudia already knew the artform,
and assists Crisantino in weaving his designs.
Crisantino at the loom. June 2004, Peru
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Dimensions: 2x3 ft. It takes approximately 5 days to spin enough wool to make a tapestry
of this size. The weaving will take an additional 15 days.
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