A Nazca or Wari Tapestry Band with Human and Spider Imagery...

Description

A Nazca or Wari Tapestry Band with Human and Spider Imagery
Peru, Early Intermediate Period to Middle Horizon, c. 500-900 AD

This dramatic band is woven in fine tapestry weave with a cotton warp and supple camelid-fiber weft, terminating in long braided cotton fringe at both ends. At its center are four rectangular panels, each framing an abstract human figure with splayed limbs. From the crown of the head rise two serpents, while the raised hands nearly touch them in a scene of transformation or supernatural communion. To their sides are a dazzling series of panels resembling spiders with multiple radiating legs, their geometry multiplying across the field in mesmerizing rhythms. Both designs - the schematic figures and the multi-legged creatures - are reminiscent of the Nazca Lines, thought to have religious and astronomical significance. The band is in very good, intact condition, the colors vibrant, one outer fringe strand is a darker color than the rest. Mounted to linen and framed in an acrylic box. The linen backing has a dark stain all along one side.

Rare in both graphic intensity and preservation, this textile is a tour de force of ancient Andean weaving-combining technical virtuosity, symbolic power, and striking design. A masterpiece of museum caliber, it stands among the most desirable survivals of Andean textile art.

Provenance:
Acquired by the current collection in 1993
Mary Hunt Kahlenberg, Santa Fe, NM

Dimensions of shadow box: 16 x 92 x 2 ½ inches



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