Two woman wearing the saya attending mass, from a group of drawings depicting Peruvian dress 1843 - 1853

Francisco Fierro, a Lima native, made this watercolor drawing of two women wearing the saya attending mass sometime in the mid-19th century. These women are depicted wearing the saya, a traditional garment that covered the head and body, leaving only one eye visible. In a society still marked by colonial norms, the saya was an essential part of the visual and social culture of Lima. It allowed women from different racial and social backgrounds to navigate public spaces with a degree of anonymity and freedom. By obscuring markers of race and class, the saya enabled women to engage in activities and move through urban environments with relative impunity. Fierro's detailed rendering invites us to reflect on the complexities of identity, tradition, and social change. The image captures a moment in time, but it also speaks to broader questions about the negotiation of gender, race, and power in post-colonial Latin America.