Cleveland Museum of Art

Tapestry Fragment

Date

700–1370s

Medium

camelid fiber and cotton, tapestry weave

Culture

Peru, North Coast, Lambayeque (Sicán) people

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The prominent figure with an elaborate headdress duplicated on this brightly colored fragment is known today as a “Lord,” a term that reveals uncertainty about his identity but confidence in his prestige. Whether a king or a deity, he was crucially important to the north coast Lambayeque ( lahm-buy- yek -kay ) (Sicán) people, who often portrayed him in a wide range of media. The geometric motif that repeats in the nine central squares is unidentified.

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