A particularly intriguing aspect of reading these motifs is that when the headcloth was worn - rather like a headscarf, but not tied under the chin - the grid of threads would draw in, as they do at the corners, only more so. Off the loom the kinky threads would pull together into an illegible mass; it is only when under tension, being woven and now being displayed, that its symbols are perceptible. It is characteristically Andean to create a very complex image that does not cater to the human viewer. Works of art were first and foremost complete and meaningful in and of themselves, since they were often directed toward supernatural powers. The headcloth designs seem to sanctify or protect the wearer, rather than make themselves clear to the viewer.