Pablo Neruda once mused on Peru as the land of “yellow tassels.” Always one to play with words, Neruda was surely referring to more than just the rising stalks of corn that “grace the heights of Peru.” Indeed, tassels are everywhere—swinging from handknit hats, coloring the ears of alpacas and even dotting the landscape.
The use of tassels—for adornment and ceremonial purposes—goes back almost as far as Peru’s history. In ancient times, tassels were symbols of power. Not only were they used to designate social standings, they were also used to honor and label mighty warriors. The most powerful warriors would be layered with the most tassels, and have the tallest tasseled headdresses (much like the function of a birds plume).
Even today, tassels are used for labeling purposes in Peru, especially with livestock. Forget branding, the Peruvians “tag” their alpacas with a specific tassel in the ear—these tassels not only designate the village and the owner, they also serve to distinguish male and female alpacas from a distance (because the different genders have different functions).
Of course, tassels are also just a favorite adornment in Peru! Tassels ornament ceremonial dance outfits, they fringe bridal hats, or ponchos or shawls…or anything you can wear! Our spring collection is bursting with bright, cheerful tassels—straight from the heart of Peru. Check out some of our favorite tasseled treasures: