Fragments

Art Historical Context

These textile fragments, created by artists of theca culture on Peru’s southern coast between 1000 and 1476, showcase the remarkable skill of Andean weavers during the Late Intermediate Period. Produced in plain cloth with interlocking tapestry, the pieces demonstrate a technique in which colored weft threads interlock at their meeting points, creating durable, seamless designs without the slits common in other tapestry methods. Such textiles were far more than utilitarian objects; in Andean societies they served as markers of identity, rank, and ritual importance, often buried with the deceas...