La Tapada Limeña: the iconology of the veiled woman in 19th-century Peru

Abstract

Images of people in typical local costume and vocations were among the standard offerings of any 19thcentury photographic studio. Many such themes are found in the cartes-de-visite produced in Peru during the 1860s, but by far the most important of these types was the tapada, the veiled one (Figure 1). She was considered one of the three distinctive hallmarks of old Lima, along with the picturesque Mozarabic balconies and the everpresent buzzards. The costume and manner of the tapada were peculiar even in Peru and were associated exclusively with Lima (Figures 2 to 10)¹. Outsiders were invariably impressed by these women, and travel literature is full of descriptions and comments on their sisterhood. Almost without exception, European and North American visitors held these ladies to be the most remarkable in Latin America. They were considered outstanding not only for their grace and beauty but also for their wit and intellect.