Feathered Tunic
1470-1532
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers knotted and attached with cotton in overcast stitches
Dimensions
85.1 × 86 cm (33 1/2 × 33 7/8 in.)
Classification
tunic
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
85533
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
One of the most extraordinary works in the Art Institute’s archaeological textile collection, this feathered tunic was created by Chimú weavers in northern Peru in 1470/1532. The knee-length, sleeveless garment is composed of a plain-weave cotton cloth completely concealed by thousands of brightly colored feathers. These coveted plumes were taken from macaws, parrots, toucans, cotingas, and tanagers from the tropical forests of South America. Because they were transported across the treacherous ...
About the Artist
Chimú
The Chimú, a preeminent pre-Columbian culture of Peru's northern coast, flourished from approximately 900 to 1470 CE as the Kingdom of Chimor, emerging in the wake of the Moche civilization's decline and incorporating influences from the Sican, Wari, and Cajamarca cultures. Centered in the vast adobe metropolis of Chan Chan—the largest city in the Americas before the Inca, housing up to 60,000 peo...