Art Institute of Chicago

Panel

Probably ChancayLinkedCulture matchlcp-bb28cb7d59d4

Date: 1000-1476
Medium: Cotton, plain weave; painted
Culture: Peru
Department: Textiles
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago
Object ID: 85217

From the Art Institute of Chicago record

This painted panel depicts an anthropomorphic figure with a crescent headdress accompanied by two birds. Certain details of the figure—especially the triangularly stacked tail and the beak-like mouth and tongue—are often associated with depictions of the caiman, a large reptile native to South America. Caimans were revered in Andean culture for their ability to transition between land and water, which implied cosmic duality and mythical power. Although the top right corner has been replaced, the artist's hand is discernible in the differences in line thickness and intensity of color, achieved with only a single colorant.

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Provenance & credit

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Credit line: Kate S. Buckingham Endowment
Provenance: Eduard Gaffron (1861–1931), Lima, Peru, from 1892 to 1912, then Berlin, from 1912 [History of the Department report (Joanne Behrens, 1985) and correspondence in curatorial file]; by descent to his children Mercedes Gaffron, Berlin then Durham, SC, and Hans Gaffron (1902–1979), Berlin then Chicago [correspondence and documentation of the Gaffron Collection in curatorial file]; sold to the Art Institute, 1955.

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Object type: AAT300014063

Part of a LinkedCulture topic

Ancient Peruvian Textiles
All objects are textile fragments, garments, or accessories from various pre-Columbian and Inca period cultures of Peru, showcasing diverse weaving techniques and materials including cotton and camelid fibers.
87 objects from 3 institutions