**Originally Listed At $600**

Pre-Columbian, Central Coast Peru, Chancay, ca. 1300 to 1450 CE. This is an amazing hand-woven wool textile comprised of tight tabby / plain weaving panel featuring anthropomorphic and symbol beings painted in vibrant colors! The piece is composed of two separate panels sewn together horizontally through the center. The threads are painted a vibrant blue, red, yellow just on the frontside to create the repeating pattern that alternates between squares containing a stylized forward facing human figure and an anthropomorphic sun visage, each square delineated by linear and stepped motifs. The ancient textile is mounted on a modern black cloth which helps the natural colors stand out. Size (textile): 51.75" L x 18.5" W (131.4 cm x 47 cm); (cloth backing): 54" L x 24" W (137.2 cm x 61 cm)

The people of the early cultures in the Andes buried their dead in bundles with woven textiles, sometimes wearing clothing like this loincloth. These often have repetitive, almost fractal patterns, often placed inside of frames, and with color sequences designed to make the viewer look across them diagonally. The red color is probably from cochineal, a bright red insect, while the yellow and black colors would have come from various plants. The dry, cold climate of the Andes preserved these textiles. As time went on, their designs changed - from ca. 1300 CE onward, motifs began to emphasize anthropomorphic figures rather than geometric abstractions. The iconography of these textiles remains unclear, but some scholars have advanced the theory that figures shown face on (like the ones on this textile) are gods.

Provenance: private Ventura County, California, USA collection, purchased June 2021; ex-Colorado dealer collection, USA, acquired in the 1980s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#168798

Tearing, fraying and perforations throughout. Fading to colors and areas of discoloration and staining. Mounted on a modern black cloth. This cloth has uneven edges but could be hemmed. We recommend mounting in a frame or case to preserve the fibers.