Islamic-rooted Influences on the Fashions of 19th Century Lima
This research examines the Islamic traditions which reached Peru and transformed Lima's architectural and fashion preferences during the colonial period. This will be done by investigating how the tapada, or the upper-class women's covered style of dress in Lima, was an adaptation of the Islamic hejaab. Close readings and analysis of the travel logs of Ricardo Palma, George Squier, and a number of other European travelers in the Andes during the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries will explore the shifting roles of women and interpretations of their apparel. Through a comparison of reactions to Islamic-rooted traditions in Lima to those in Iberia and the Middle East on the Islamic hejaab, the implications of veiling are analyzed to show, first, that Islamic traditions did travel to Lima through colonialism, and second, to show how these customs changed as they reached Latin America. In addition, baroque balconies with artistically covered celocía windows, with mudéjar, that is, Iberian Gothic-Muslim, origins will be used as a lens to view how women in Lima gained a sense of liberation by viewing and participating in city life through the covered surveillance of the tapada and balconies.
School:
San Jose State University
Department:
Humanities: European Studies
Research Advisor:
Jovita Baber
Department of Research Advisor:
History
Year of Publication:
2008