Minneapolis Institute of Art

Hat

Wari artist

Date

c. 850 CE

Medium

Alpaca fiber

Culture

Wari

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Ceramic and stone sculptures of men from neighboring Wari and Tiwanaku societies illustrate that four-cornered hats such as this one appear to be linked with warriors and other individuals of high status. The texture of the pile surface may represent animal fur or the plumage of birds like those depicted on this hat. Abstracted animal, bird, and plant images on hats like this one are associated with the Wari and Tiwanaku religions and may have served to protect the wearer or imbue him with the desirable attributes of the plants and animals represented. Peru, Americas

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