Cleveland Museum of Art

Band (Headband?)

Date

c. 650–850

Medium

Camelid fiber (alpaca; weft) and cotton (warp); tapestry weave

Culture

Central Andes, Moche-Wari Style, mid-7th to mid-9th century

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This jewel-like textile, perhaps the only one of its kind, is made from a single band accordion-folded to form tabs, each edged with lush red tassels. Repeated in different colors down its length is the image of a warrior who holds an axe in one hand and a jagged, club-like object in the other. The reversed orientation of several of the warriors may be the result of the weaving method. This unusual band may have been worn as a headband.

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