Art Institute of Chicago

Headcloth

Chancay

Date

1000-1476

Medium

Cotton, plain gauze weave; embroidered in knotted couching

Culture

Peru

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

In the ancient Andes, weavers of different societies continually developed distinct techniques to manipulate their looms. Chancay weavers perfected gauze weaving—in which they crossed pairs of vertical warp threads to hold the horizontal wefts in place—in order to make sheer fabrics like this one. They used the natural colors of coastal Andean cotton—now called Pima cotton—spun into very fine threads. Chancay peoples seem to have worn such textiles on their heads, perhaps to shield them from blowing sands in the desert. The garment’s fish designs reflect this maritime locale.

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