Bag
Unknown Artist
7th century
Medium
Cotton, camelid hair
Dimensions
H. 10 1/4 x W. 14 5/8 x D. 5 in. (26 x 37.1 x 12.7 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture
Nasca
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
Accession Number
1979.206.458
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woven bag hails from the Nasca of ancient Peru's south coast, dating to the 7th century—a time when Nasca society was renowned for its masterful textiles amid a flourishing tradition of ceramics and monumental geoglyphs. Crafted by an unknown artist, this practical yet artful object measures 10¼ x 14⅝ x 5 inches, the Nasca's skill in creating functional items that doubled as cultural expressions. Now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, it offers a window into pre-Columbian life. Woven from cotton and camelid hair—likely from alpa...