Tunic with Crescent Headdress Figures
Unknown Artist
ca. 1460–1540
Medium
Camelid wool, cotton
Dimensions
H. 22 x W. 39 3/4 in. (55.9 x 101 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture
Chimú
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
1979.206.590
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant Chimú tunic, woven from camelid wool and cotton around 1460–1540, the mastery of Andean textile arts on Peru's north coast. Measuring 22 by 39 3/4 inches, it features repeating human figures adorned with distinctive crescent-shaped headdresses, representing elite warriors, deities, or ancestors. These motifs, rendered in bold colors and intricate patterns, reflect the Chimú culture's sophisticated iconography, which blended daily life with spiritual beliefs during their flourishing pre-Inca empire. Chimú weavers were renowned innovators, employing advanced techniques like complem...