#Peru - Feathered Tunic (1470)

[lemuseum]

[artifacts-archive]

Feathered Tunic

Chimú, 1470/1532 CE

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 peaks of the Andes, the feathers were extremely rare and valuable and would only have been available to the most elite members of pre-Hispanic society. Thus, the feathered tunic—with its stylized felines, birds, and fish—would have been a sumptuous emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Like many other pre-Hispanic textiles, it was buried with its owner in a subterranean tomb on the southern coast of Peru. The dark and arid conditions in these tombs protected the tunic, thereby allowing its vibrant colors and bold motifs to endure.

[fleauwers]

Feathered Tunic (1470/1532) Chimú Peru, south coast, Possibly Nazca Valley Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers knotted and attached with cotton in overcast stitches

[aic-americas]

Feathered Tunic, Chimú, 1470, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of the Americas

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 peaks of the Andes, the feathers were extremely rare and valuable and would only have been available to the most elite members of pre-Hispanic society. Thus, the feathered tunic—with its stylized felines, birds, and fish—would have been a sumptuous emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Like many other pre-Hispanic textiles, it was buried with its owner in a subterranean tomb on the southern coast of Peru. The dark and arid conditions in these tombs protected the tunic, thereby allowing its vibrant colors and bold motifs to endure. Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Size: 85.1 × 86 cm (33 1/2 × 33 7/8 in.) Medium: Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers knotted and attached with cotton in overcast stitches

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/85533/

[slcvisualresources]

Chimú

Feathered Tunic, 1470/1532

Peru, south coast, Possibly Nazca Valley

Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers knotted and attached with cotton in overcast stitches

85.1 × 86 cm (33 1/2 × 33 7/8 in.)

Courtesy of The Art Institute of Chicago

[soliloquyinthedark]

Feathered Tunic made by the Chimú people of the Kingdom of Chimor (modern-day Peru) (circa 1470-1532)

The knee-length, sleeveless garment is composed of a plain-weave cotton cloth completely concealed by thousands of brightly coloured 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 peaks of the Andes, the feathers were extremely rare and valuable and would only have been available to the most elite members of pre-Hispanic society. Thus, the feathered tunic—with its stylised felines, birds, and fish—would have been a sumptuous emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Like many other pre-Hispanic textiles, it was buried with its owner in a subterranean tomb on the southern coast of Peru. The dark and arid conditions in these tombs protected the tunic, thereby allowing its vibrant colours and bold motifs to endure.

[theancientwayoflife]

~ Tunic Fragment.

Date: A.D. 1470-1532

Culture: Chimú

Place of origin: Peru, south coast, Possibly Nazca Valley

Medium: Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers knotted and attached with cotton in back stitches

[aic-americas]

Feathered Tunic, Chimú, 1470, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of the Americas

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 peaks of the Andes, the feathers were extremely rare and valuable and would only have been available to the most elite members of pre-Hispanic society. Thus, the feathered tunic—with its stylized felines, birds, and fish—would have been a sumptuous emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Like many other pre-Hispanic textiles, it was buried with its owner in a subterranean tomb on the southern coast of Peru. The dark and arid conditions in these tombs protected the tunic, thereby allowing its vibrant colors and bold motifs to endure. Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Size: 85.1 × 86 cm (33 1/2 × 33 7/8 in.) Medium: Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers knotted and attached with cotton in overcast stitches

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/85533/

[aic-americas]

Feathered Tunic, Chimú, 1470, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of the Americas

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 peaks of the Andes, the feathers were extremely rare and valuable and would only have been available to the most elite members of pre-Hispanic society. Thus, the feathered tunic—with its stylized felines, birds, and fish—would have been a sumptuous emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Like many other pre-Hispanic textiles, it was buried with its owner in a subterranean tomb on the southern coast of Peru. The dark and arid conditions in these tombs protected the tunic, thereby allowing its vibrant colors and bold motifs to endure. Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Size: 85.1 × 86 cm (33 1/2 × 33 7/8 in.) Medium: Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers knotted and attached with cotton in overcast stitches

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/85533/

[aic-americas]

Feathered Tunic, Chimú, 1470, Art Institute of Chicago: Arts of the Americas

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 peaks of the Andes, the feathers were extremely rare and valuable and would only have been available to the most elite members of pre-Hispanic society. Thus, the feathered tunic—with its stylized felines, birds, and fish—would have been a sumptuous emblem of power, wealth, and prestige. Like many other pre-Hispanic textiles, it was buried with its owner in a subterranean tomb on the southern coast of Peru. The dark and arid conditions in these tombs protected the tunic, thereby allowing its vibrant colors and bold motifs to endure. Kate S. Buckingham Endowment Size: 85.1 × 86 cm (33 1/2 × 33 7/8 in.) Medium: Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers knotted and attached with cotton in overcast stitches

https://www.artic.edu/artworks/85533/