Peru | Chancay Tan Gauze Witch's Vail with a Complex Pattern of Cat Faces |

Peru, 3 Inca Slings

These three slings double as tethers and were used to restrain llamas by attaching them through a hole in the ear. Llamas were herded by the Incas and were the primary source of cargo transport in the Andes. A llama could carry up to ninety pounds of cargo on its back.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: mounted dimensions: H. 36 x L. 17 in.

$3,000

89505A

Chile, Arica Small Loincloth

The lion cloth is comprised of 32 individually wrapped strands of vicuna. The design of the Andean cross appears when the strands are aligned. A similar small mens loincloth is illustrated in Arica Diez Mil Anos, Museo Chileno (1985: 57).

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height: 12" x Width: 14"

$6,500

M8063

Chile, Cameronie turban with henna colored hair with upright fiber tassel

Cameronie is a coastal fishing center inhabited as early as 900 B.C. and occupied until 1100 A.D.. The turbans were made prior to the acceptance of weaving. Much importance was placed on head-gear in Chile.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Approx. Diameter 8 in.

$4,250

91283B

Peru, Chancay Fringed Tapestry Border with Cats and Birds

This was likely the border of a tunic and was made as two loom widths sewn together with an additional fringe sewn horizontally. The design of cats and birds alternating in angled bands is bordered above and below with rows of additional small birds. It is unusual to see such red and gold highlights dyed on cotton.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Width: 37" Height: 9"

$2,200

94277

Peru, Chancay Painted Cotton Panel with Four Abstract Figures and Symbols

The cotton panel is painted in blue, tan and orange. The drawing can be interpreted as 3 woven panels or tunics with fringes, each decorated with different abstract designs. On each side of the central panel are two abstract creatures with curly tails on an orange ground.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length: 46" x Width: 23"

$7,500

n6056h

Peru, Chancay stamped decorated woven panel

The decoration is a combination of resist dying and then stamped design. There are over 7 different motifs all arranged in diagonal patterns.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length: 15'(180") x Width: 4'(48")

$15,000

N2027

Peru, Chancay Tan Gauze Witch's Vail with a Complex Pattern of Cat Faces

Tan cotton complex gauze decorated with a lace-like pattern of cat faces in alternating orientations. Witches’ vails are often seen on Chancay dolls. This example has tightly spaced cat faces, making the gauze very dense and complex.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height 38" x Width 32"

$3,350

94277A

Peru, Chimu Tapestry Panel with 18 Cacti

The panel is arranged with three rows of cacti, probably the San Pedro cactus species. The San Pedro is also eaten as psychoactive fruit and is shaped like a star or flower when sliced. This panel illustrates three rows of plants, each with a bird eating the fruit. The rows of cacti are bordered by double rows of stylized crowned Chimu crowned.
This panel was cut from a larger weaving. The fringe is authentic, coming from the original weaving, but was re-attached. The panel is mounted in a Plexiglas box. The framer used an adhesive to attach the weaving to the ivory cotton ground; it should not be removed from the stretcher.
Formerly in a New York private collection prior to 1979.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height: 22" x Width: 23"

$3,250

n9042

Peru, Chimu Tapestry Shirt with Pelican Narrative

This is a complete tapestry woven shirt with sleeves constructed of cotton warps and camelid wefts in red, brown, olive and white on an ochre ground. It depicts a mythical marine narrative with two pelicans carrying a litter bearing a trophy head in the form of a skate with a face. Litters were considered a prestigious mode of transportation on the North coast. The presence of this image within the narrative reinforces the importance of the individual who wore this shirt. There is a pelican with a crescent headdress on top of each litter. Each of the four panels displays the same scene in reverse colors. This shirt is illustrated in Rowe, Ann, "Costumes and Featherwork of the Lords of Chimor" published by The Textile Museum, 1984, fig 103. Formally in the collection of the Southwest Museum in California.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Width 47-1/2" x Length 19-1/2"

Price Upon Request

96127

Peru, Colorful Chancay Gauze with Abstract Faces

This is a very unusual gauze in blue, red, and saffron colors. It is woven in two panels and depicts three bands of large abstract faces, bordered by step clefs. In the opposite orientation the faces appear as skates and frogs.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length: 27" x Width: 26"

$8,000

n6053h

Zaire, Dekese (Kuba Kingdom) Raffia Panel with X-shaped Motif

Woven palm-leaf fiber panel embroidered with four variations on the same V-shaped motif which intersect to form a large “X.” The panel was embroidery cut to form a pile surface, resembling velvet. This panel was brought back by one of the members of H.M. Stanley's famous expedition to Central Africa in the late 1800's.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length 23.5" x Width 23.5"

$450

M4089

Peru, Early Nazca/Late Wari Tie- Dye Patchwork Rectangular Bag

This tie dye rectangular bag with discontinuous interlocking patchwork was probably used for carrying feathers. The bag was made from surplus squares left over from a larger mantle, utilizing the scaffold technique. Collected by Gunnolf Bjorkman who worked in Lima in the 1960's and settled in Buenos Aires.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length: 26" x Width: 4 1/2 in.

$7,250

91265

Peru, Early Nazca/Sihuas Feather Tunic With the Eight Pointed Star On an Orange Ground

This tunic with an eight-pointed star motif, also referred to as the Radiant Sun, is similar to other published tunics. The front part is a complete star with assorted color blocks of blue feathers. The back of the tunic has only two blue stripes on an orange ground with a fringe of turquoise macaw tail feathers. The blue feathers do not contain blue pigment, but instead are natural prisms which brightly reflect the color of the sky. I believe that all the feathers are from the Scarlet, Yellow, and Blue Macaws. Tunics with similar motifs are illustrated in TEXTILE ART OF PERU, 1989, L.L. Editores, Lima. pages145,-147 & 163. Usually tunics with an eight-pointed star motif are from the Nazca region, from the South coast of Peru. This tunic was found in the Sihuas region near the city of Arequipa and predates the Nazca by 500 years. The backing fabric is fragile and needs proper conservation.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length 56" x Width 35" (142cm X 88.9cm)

•SOLD

N1028

Peru, Huarmay Tapestry Border to a Poncho with Three Warriors

This classic Huarmay style tapestry is crafted in the classic Huarmay colors of ivory, blue, and red with black outlines. Each warrior wears different colors, and each holds a tumi in his left hand and wears an elaborate headdress with two long, forward-tilting plumes. Separating the warriors are blocks of ivory with three abstract birds on a diagonal. Along the bottom edge is a repeating classic step volute line in blue with a white outline. The Huarmay culture thrived during the Late Moche Period on the most Southern of the fourteen Moche valleys, and were influenced by the Wari. Mounted, in a Plexiglas box. Minor losses to the ivory central panel. Formerly in a New York private collection prior to 1979.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Width: 48" x Height: 6 1/2"

$8,500

n9040

Chile, Inca Faja Bolsa (Bag Belt)

This Faja Bolsa has extremely good colors and presevation, in blue, red and white. geometric striped design. The belt was worn around the waist and over a tunic. As tunics have not pockets, the bag belt allowed the wearer to store items from coca leaves to corn, something like a Money Belt is used for today. A similar example is found in "Arica, Diez mil Anos", Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, page 80, no. 180 & 181. Woven of alpaca wools. Weavings from Pica, Chile are usually in excellent condition with bright colors.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Width: 6 x Length:. 17 � in.

$2,750

90247

Chile, Inca feather shaman's mask with feather Nose appendages

This mask was worn by shaman to create an owl like impression. It is constructed by threading the individual duck feather quills. Figurative pottery images have been seen wearing this type of face mask. Similar masks are illustrated in ARICA 10,000 YEARS. Another example is illustrated in "Identity and Prestige in the Andes" pg 52.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: H 6 1/2" x W. 7"

$1,800

88033B

Chile, Inca fez style hat with step design in brown, gold, white and pink and feather plume

A fez style hat was placed as the final adornament on the Inca mummy bundles of Pica, Chile. They were not made anywhere else in all of the Inca Empire. They were made by a coil method wrapping different colored wool yarns around the coils to acheive the quartered step pattern. A similar example is illustrated in Arica Diez Mil Anos

Media: Textile

Dimensions: H. 4 1/4 in.hat only H. with feathers 9"

$5,500

91362

Peru, Inca/Ica Tapestry Borders to a Tunic depicting creatures in profile holding a bird

A very finely woven tapestry work in alternating color arrangements on tan and red grounds. The creature is wearing an upside down tunic on his head with a early Inca motif of checkerboard pattern. Color is used to create hidden images.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length 24 1/2" x Width 3 1/4" framed / 23" x 2 1/4" unmounted

$4,850

M3136

Peru, Knotted Textile Fringe with Colorful Abstract Motif

This knotted fringe is distinguished by its brilliant colors and abstract "z" motif repeated along the band. It was not woven on a loom but instead was created by a method referred to as "tubular looping." Looping is a single-element technique in which the free end and full length of the yarn are pulled through previous work at the edge of the fabric to form each new loop. Looping predates the domestication of fiber-bearing plants and animals and the invention of weaving in the Americas and possibly Eurasia. The choice of color combinations creates a vibrating impact.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length: 61 inches; Width: 2 inches

$3,000

91105

Peru, Large fragment to a Wari tunic in Unusual Colors with Abstract Monkey Faces

The fragment consists of two large sections that join, making it almost 60 inches in length. The design is of opposing monkeys in profile. Both profile monkey faces also combine to create a third, larger monkey face in two colors. The monkey’s tail turns into a step fret motif, typical of Wari tunics. The thread count is high, at around 120 per inch. The warps are of cotton and the wefts are of fine alpaca. Cotton warps suggests that the tunic was woven on the coast.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Overall length is 60" x Width of 20"
Section A Length: 30" x Width: 20"
Section B Length: 30" x Width: 20'

$6,950

n7018

Chile, Mapuche Horse Blanket

The Mapuche Indians of southern Chile were famous for their horseback riding ability. They were the first Americans to learn how to ride horses in the New World. The slit in their tunics opened allowing them to spread their legs over the horse and these were the first true ponchos in the New World. A long pile colorful wool ceremonial horse blanket, which is very rare. A similar one is illustrated in "Colores de America" on the cover.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Width 34" Height 48"

$6,500

97166

Peru, Miniature Tunic with Fish Appliques

This rare small tunic was made for a child or perhaps a doll. The silver fish are individually crafted - cutout with repousse details. The fish are attached with the original thread, through holes in the fish, and are applied to both the front and back of the tunic. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York possesses a similar miniature tunic, pair of shoes, and coca bag, all made in the same style using textiles with square-shaped silver appliques. These items, along with a larger textile, are illustrated in the Textile Museum's publication Costumes and Featherwork of the Lords of Chimor, figs. 148, 167,168.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Width: 7" x Length: 13 1/2"

$2,500

91201A

Peru, Nazca Border with 21 Abstract Feline Deities

A Nazca band decorated with seven abstract feline deities alternating in colors blue, yellow and maroon on red ground. The deities face upward, with hind legs and tails outlined in black. When the felines are rotates 90 degrees, they appear to be worms. A similar image is illustrated in Ancient Peruvian Textiles from the Collection of the Textile Museum, plate 17.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length: 20" x Width: 7"

$1,800

94178a

Peru, Nazca kilim-style border to tunic with alternating zig zags

The zig-zags on this border are separated by bold triangular fields with ivory, blue and orange on brown ground. This weaving is one of the vertical side borders to the tunic.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length 83" x Width 14 1/2"

$11,500

91091

Peru, Nazca Tunic with bold stepped/diamond motif in red, brown and gold.

This scaffold-woven poncho is decorated with a series of complete stepped diamonds alternating in red and gold, outlined in brown. The bottom is bordered by gold, red and brown horizontal bands, with a narrow braid of twisted gold on top of a brown fringe. This tunic was made by two different weavers in the same workshop as seen by the slightly different sizes of diamonds. It's very rare to find a complete tunic intact and unopened.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height 34" x Length 42"

$30,000

93076

Peru, Pachacamac woven bird

This woven bird is brown, blue and white on a light brown ground, and has a smaller brown bird with a blue head behind it. There are a series of smaller, more stylized birds around the edge of the textile. It was originally woven to be an emblem for tunic and was part of a large cache which was woven for tribute. A similar bird is illustrated in TEXTILE ART OF PERU pg. 276. This is a good example of a woven shaped tapestry as it is not cut.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Width 17" x Length 20" mounted / length 10 x width 9 in.

$7,500

93127

Peru, Paracas Embroidered Section with 5 Condors

This embroidery textile is decorated with five mythical birds of prey in red, green, orange, and dark blue on plain cotton. In front of each large bird is a miniature bird in a contrasting color. This textile is illustrated in ANCIENT PERUVIAN TEXTILES by Ferdinand Anton, 1984, in plate 52. Ferdinand Anton Collection prior to 1980. Excellent color, with slight unraveling at the edges. Pressure mounted in a Plexiglas frame.

Period: Peru, Paracas, South Coast, c. 500 - 200 BC

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length:2 1/4" x Height: 7 1/2 "

$2,800

92071

Peru, Paracas Miniature Knitted Fringe or Neck Opening with Double-Headed Worms

Eleven finely knitted colorful segments depicting double-headed worms with curled tails in alternating colors. Below each worm is a small tab with an even smaller creature nested within. Acquired from the estate of Anton Roeckl in Germany prior to 1970.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length: 6 3/4 inches

$2,800

96165

Peru, Paracas Painted Mummy Mask Textile with Figure and Serpents

The Paracas culture is known for its elaborate and whimsical painted textiles as well as its mummy masks, which were placed over the faces of the deceased. This cotton textile is woven in white thread and painted with varying shades of tan and brown pigment. The mysterious central deity is depicted standing with his arms and legs turned outward. Serpentine creatures emanate from either side of his head, their miniature faces resting at the ground near his feet. The cotton warps form a fringe along the top border. Ex. collection Pablo Soldi-Lou Slavitz in the US prior to 1960's.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height: 16" x Width: 8"

$3,400

92005

Bolivia, Potolo Llacota Mantle with Mythical Animals in Pink and Blue on Maroon Ground

These fantastic animals, demons and monsters are unique to Potolo. These creatures and are said to be envisioned by young women who participate in a ritual that involves spending the night in a cave, likely while using entheogens. This coming-of-age ritual and the visions of demons and strange animals are considered a part of the young Potolan woman’s passage from childhood into adulthood. Potolan weavings, and the animals they portray are associated with sexuality and fertility. Mounted on a stretcher.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Width 39" x Hieght 29"

$2,900

89256

Chile, Pre-Inca Storage Bag from Arica, Chile

This large striped bag is decorated with a series of thin and broad vertical stripes in brilliant hues of red, green, tan, brown and white. The weaving was opened along the vertical sewn sides and is in excellent condition indicating that it was woven for ritual tribute rather than used in everyday life. These long, narrow bags are referred to as talegas. A group of talegas is catalogued in ARICA: 10,000 YEARS, ref # 195-199. Acquired in 1995 from Eduardo Aldunate, Santiago, Chile prior to the 1980s. Weaving Technique: plain weave. Professionally mounted on a stretcher.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length 29" x Width 13"

$5,800

95107

Peru, Proto-Nazca "Cabildo" Sampler with Three Figures in Gold and Red

This sampler is embroidered with abstract creatures with their hands held upwards. The sampler is embroidered with camelid dyed fiber in red, green and gold on a fine woven white cotton ground. The two figures at opposite ends have arms and legs with fancy appendages at the waist and an abstract face on top of each head. Samplers were used by the Paracas and Early Nasca to plan out designs for large textiles. The central figure appeas to be a shaman with a large head wearing a crown with three appendages on each side embroidered in gold. Nested inside the central figure is secondary figure embroidered in red, depicted upside down as if it is falling. The sampler is embellished with 42 individual connected step-volute patterns in red, green, gold and brown. In addition, there are five X's interspersed in the design. The panel is complete, in good condition, with all sides selvaged, and professionally lined. There are 3 small holes and 7 very small holes. Similar samplers are discussed and illustrated in "Early Nazca Needlework" by Alan Sawyer.

Period: Peru, Paracas, Ocucaje-South Coast , 300 - 200 BC

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Length: 63" x Width: 22"

$6,500

93129

Peru, Sihuas Mummy Mask with tie-dye panel (twin blue)

This group of four panels represent a very rare type of textile in which the woven cloth was attached to a tie-dyed skirts. It seems that all four had ties at the top of the head. These textile figure cloths were probably placed over the deaceased in tombs. They date to the Sihuas III Phase.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height 46"x Width 24"

$25,000

M8050

Peru, Sihuas Mummy Mask with tie-dye panel (twin green)

This group of four panels represent a very rare type of textile in which the woven cloth was attached to a tie-dyed skirts. It seems that all four had ties at the top of the head. These textile figure cloths were probably placed over the deaceased in tombs. They date to the Sihuas III Phase.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height 46" Width 27"

$25,000

M8053

Peru, Sihuas Tapestry Panel Depicting a Sun Face Deity Holding a Staff in Each Hand

The panel depicts an elaborate Sun Face Deity holding fancy staffs with Puma heads in profile. The Deity wears a colorful headdress and an unusual chest decoration. Beneath the deity is a litter held by four attendants. In the center of the litter is a self-referential depiction of a tunic. Underneath the litter are two staff bearers that appear in front of the litter. On each side is a column of four unique kneeling anthropomorphized attendants with bird-like characteristics. Among the attendants are two figures with human faces who are blowing conch trumpets. A similar, less complicated example is illustrated in TIWANAKU: ANCESTORS OF THE INKA by Maragaret Young-Sanchez, fig. 1.9. Condition: There are losses and repairs throughout.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height: 20" x Width: 29"

$18,000

N6012

Peru, Two Female Chancay Dolls Each

The female tapestry faces are divided into three sections while those of the males are woven in two sections. One holds a wad of unspun cotton while the other holds a spindle with brown cotton strapped around it. Each has a witch’s veil covering the back of the head. Ex collection Justin and Barbara Kerr, prior to 1970.

Media: Textile

Dimensions: Height: 10 1/4" x Width of Face: 4 1/4"

$8,500

n7013