Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Chancay, ca. 800 to 1200 CE. A large cotton textile panel comprised of tight tabby / plain weaving. The panel is a lengthy rectangle that is painted with natural dyes of yellow ochre, dark brown, and orange-red. The motif is repeated three times and consists of a stylized being that squats with its sinuous arms held upward with three fingers extended. The oversized head is hemispherical and grinning with a toothy mouth. From the brow is an elaborate headdress of bird heads and bicephalic snakes hanging to both sides of the figure. This monstrous figure represents a deity that would protect the deceased in the afterlife. Cotton textiles were lightweight and easy to transport and trade, and this deity motif was shared and recreated throughout the Andes as a popular guardian spirit. Size: 77" L x 19" W (195.6 cm x 48.3 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Drimmer collection, Florida, USA, before 1965

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#165180

Several holes and perforations through the center as shown. Fraying and unraveling of threads around the holes. Traces of brown adhesive on verso from a previous display mounting. Edges of panel are tight and very good. Discoloration and staining to verso. Pigments are slightly faded, but motifs are clear!