Cleveland Museum of Art

Tunic

Date

c. 300 BCE–200 CE

Medium

Alpaca wool: plain weave with embroidery and warp substitution

Culture

Peru, South Coast, Paracas (Cavernas) style

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Brightly dyed wool yarns found in many ancient Peruvian textiles come mainly from alpacas that were domesticated and selectively bred to produce long, soft, lustrous fiber. The finely spun yarns in a broad range of colors as seen on this tunic—well preserved after approximately 2,000 years of burial—attest to the Paracas people’s considerable artistry. A double-headed bird motif appears multiple times throughout the tunic’s design. Fine textiles were one of the most prestigious commodities in the ancient Andes.

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