Art Institute of Chicago

Panel

Probably Chancay

Date

1000-1476

Medium

Cotton, plain weave; painted

Culture

Peru

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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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