About this artwork
With its delicacy of thread and complex construction, this extraordinary head cloth exemplifies Chancay gauze weaving, often considered the finest among all of the ancient Peruvian textile traditions. The repeated off-set rows of fish motifs—each outlined with softly spun cotton stitching—strongly evoke a school of fish caught within a fisherman’s net. Coastal cultures such as the Chancay embraced marine life in many forms, especially the bounty it provided as a source of food.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Culture
- Chancay
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Title
- Headcloth
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Origin
- Peru
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Date
- Made 1000–1476
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Medium
- Cotton, plain gauze weave; embroidered in knotted couching
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Dimensions
- 99.1 × 99.1 cm (39 × 39 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. Edward H. Merrin
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Reference Number
- 1984.121
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/102176/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
