Occupying the Peruvian highlands, the Quechua people of Ausangate produce textile forms and designs not found in other parts of Peru. The author explores how these textiles link to ritual and cultural reproduction for the Quechua. She describes the techniques and practices of textile weaving; explores symbolic and formal meaning produced in the cloths; and looks at how textiles relate to social structures, ritual, and pilgrimage. The text is illustrated with an atypical number of color photographs. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)