Pre-Columbian, South Coast of Peru, Nazca culture, ca. 100 to 300 CE. A massive, vibrant, tie-dyed textile mantle created from camelid fibers (llama or camelid wool), with a fantastical geometric design using bold colors for which the Nazca are justifiably famous. The mantle is decorated with a gridded pattern of alternating bright red, sky blue, and navy blue rectangular panels, each then filled with interior rectangular outlines in regular patterns that resemble stepping stones when viewed from above. Nine of these interior shapes are tie-dyed in white within each panel. What do these shapes represent? Some Nazca textiles have fantastical imagery of humans and animals, while others are more abstract, like this example. Size of textile: 42.25" W x 84.5" H (107.3 cm x 214.6 cm); size of backing: 46" W x 84.5" H (116.8 cm x 214.6 cm)

In Nazca cemeteries, the dead were wrapped in layers of cloth. Elite people were given brightly tie-dyed textiles like this one, along with jewelry decorated with feathers and precious metals. Many hours of labor would have gone into making this mantle, and the imagery and colors were intended to convey the veneration of the deceased ancestor, as well as to form a bridge between the living and the dead. Analyses of similar textiles in museum collections have shown that the color and motif choices were complex and systematic, with some meaning that we can only guess at today, nearly two thousand years removed from this culture that left no written records.

Provenance: private Tucson, Arizona, USA collection, acquired between 1950 and 1985

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#147675

Light wear and discoloration in some areas, with the edges slightly frayed. Overall, however, it is in beautiful condition for its age and material, with very clear motifs and vibrant colors, especially the red.