Threads of Time: Tradition and Change in Indigenous American Textiles
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Tunic or Mantle Fragment with Tie-Dyed Stepped Triangles
Of the incredible range of techniques and ideas that the ancient Andean textile artists developed, this piece required perhaps the most complicated creative process of all. At first glance, it simply seems like bits of tie-dyed cloth sewn together in…
Tunic or Mantle Fragment with Multi-Color Feathers
Most Native Americans consider bird feathers not only beautiful, but sacred gifts from the Winged Beings since molted feathers fall on the ground as if from the celestial realm. Tropical feathers especially exhibit brilliant natural coloration.…
Tunic or Mantle Fragment with Orange Feathers
Most Native Americans consider bird feathers not only beautiful, but sacred gifts from the Winged Beings since molted feathers fall on the ground as if from the celestial realm. Tropical feathers especially exhibit brilliant natural coloration.…
Fragment with Feathers
Most Native Americans consider bird feathers not only beautiful, but sacred gifts from the Winged Beings since molted feathers fall on the ground as if from the celestial realm. Tropical feathers especially exhibit brilliant natural coloration.…
Tapestry Fragment Depicting Feathers
Throughout history imitation has been seen as “the sincerest form of praise” and the ancient Andes is no exception. Here featherwork is imitated in woven textiles, tapestry in particular. In this tiny piece, the quills are delineated, the ends come…
Fringed Border with Birds Sharing Feathers as Their Tails
The imagery on this band may be a challenge to decipher (see drawing above), but features a series of feathers. The quills quite realistically change from brown to tan and the down is again shown accurately as white. However, at each end of the…
Tapestry Tunic Fragment with Faces
A fragment of a Wari tapestry tunic was originally along the side seam of a four-foot square garment. However, even this small fragment illustrates several important concepts and aesthetic choices made over 1300 years ago in the Andes. The…
Textile Fragment with Color Anomaly
Although this piece is also only part of a larger composition, nevertheless it is very revealing. Here the intentional color surprise is the bright pink background for the yellow bird toward the top right corner. No other instance of such a color is…
Ceremonial Huipíl (Blouse)
Since ancient times, Maya women have worn a wide, rectangular blouse known as a huipíl over a wrap-around skirt. This mid-20th century one comes from the famous market town of Chichicastenango.A three-part huipíl such as this would have been worn on…
Textile with Pelican Shaman
This brocaded cloth features a supernatural pelican-man. Still bright after over five hundred years, scarlet highlights the standing figure’s face and the many little pelicans that sit on his arms and emerge magically from/as his body. The two…