Four-Cornered Hat
Unknown Artist
c. 400–1000
Medium
alpaca
Dimensions
14.6 × 16 × 20 cm
Classification
Textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
James Albert and Mary Gardiner Ford Memorial Fund
Accession Number
1997.150
About this artwork
A distinctive type of Tiwanaku and Wari headgear was a hat with four ear-like peaks rising from the corners. Depicted on warriors and other men who wear prestigious clothing and ornaments, the hats were made with knots, visible on all sides of this handsome Tiwanaku example. The hat is decorated with a pattern that includes a profile bird head.