Art Institute of Chicago

Border Fragment

Probably north or central coast, Peru

Date

1000-1476

Medium

Cotton, slit tapestry weave; edged with plain weave with extended weft uncut fringe; joined to plain weave

Culture

Peru

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This fragment depicts a column of felines paired with their mirror images, along with smaller representations of abstracted fish or birds, framed by a vertical motif that recalls undulating waves. Peru is home to a variety of predatory felines, including the jaguar, puma and pampas cat, which were feared for their hunting skill and worshipped for their ties to the otherworldly powers of the nocturnal world. Rulers throughout the ancient Andean realm expressed their identities as warriors and protectors of their communities by taking on the attributes of the fearsome cats in their personal adornment.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.