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Tunic
Peru, Central Coast
Rimac-Lurin Style
1476-1534
Along
the Peruvian coast, the most common shades of cotton
are white to brown, plus indigo blue. Indigo was a lowland
plant, and thus available to coastal dyers. It was not
easy to dye cotton in other colors, so if other shades
were desired, camelid (llama, alpaca or vicuna) hair
was often used instead of cotton.
With
its all-cotton tapestry dyed brown and blue, this tunic
is in the style of the Rimac-Lurin valleys of the central
coast, However, it was found in the Ica valley. Imports
from the central and north coast are frequently discovered
in Ica valley graves from the period of the Inca Empire
(1476-1534). The figures are depicted with corn plants,
presumably reflecting the importance of corn in this
society.
Warp:
cotton. Weft: cotton. Slit tapestry
The Textile Museum 1966.7.30, anonymous gift
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