Framed Pre-Columbian Woven Textile from Chancay Culture

Description

An antique pre-Columbia textile panel from Peru Chancay culture in Central coast that thrived in the late Intermediate period/ late … more An antique pre-Columbia textile panel from Peru Chancay culture in Central coast that thrived in the late Intermediate period/ late Horizon circa AD. 1000-1470. The panel appears to be an intact shawl or head scarf, indicated by the overall integrity with the finished edges. It is a gauze-like linen/cotton open-square woven panel with supplemental embroidered horizontal bands that alternate between hooked diamond motifs and silhouettes of perched seabirds, one of the most favored animal forms in Chancay art. The color is quite vibrant with red contrasted by two shades of yellow on a darker brown background. The scarf such as this is thought to be associated with ceremonies and magic realm of death and burial practice. The textile is displayed on a dark line background under a new acrylic shadow box.
Reference: For reading on the bird motifs in Chancay textile art, see page 141-183 of the book "Ancient Peruvian Textile" by F. Anton. less