Art Institute of Chicago

Headcloth Fragment

Chancay

Date

11th-15th century

Medium

Over-twist cotton, gauze weave; embroidered with cotton in simple looping stitch

Culture

Peru

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This extraordinary fragment from a headcloth, with its fineness of thread and complex construction, exemplifies Chancay gauze weaving. In Chancay culture, gauze weave relates to the tradition of coastal fishing, as the art form likely grew out of techniques associated with the making of fishing nets. This fragment displays two feline heads linked to the same body. Peru is home to a variety of wild cats, including the jaguar, puma, and pampas cat. These predatory felines were feared as well as worshipped, and they are associated with a wide range of Peruvian beliefs pertaining to ceremonial practices, the supernatural realm, astronomy, and the power of rulers.

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