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Source Description

Yet another example which shows the sophistication and complexity, both visual and technical, of Huari textiles. This panel, dominated by reds and tans, shows interspersed abstract stripes, with wide twill bands of stripes and diamonds at the top and bottom of the piece. In a composition worthy of Josef Albers, lighter diamonds above echo darker ones below, suggesting a fictive three-dimensionality to the piece. In between these two registers is shown a narrow band of marching supernaturals, separated from each other by low walls. The staring eyes and fanged smiles of these figures suggests their identity as shamans or sacrificial deities. This is reinforced by the single trophy heads and paired puma heads to each figure’s left, part of their regalia. As well, each of these standing figures holds the hair of a smaller figure to their right, probably representing a victim, who is oriented horizontally to emphasize their total domination by the larger individual. The keeping of trophy heads, while its meaning and specifics are still debated by scholars, was a common practice in the ancient Andes.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
85460
label
Tunic Panel
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
3
Source metadata
id
85460
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Tunic Panel
description
Yet another example which shows the sophistication and complexity, both visual and technical, of Huari textiles. This panel, dominated by reds and tans, shows interspersed abstract stripes, with wide twill bands of stripes and diamonds at the top and bottom of the piece. In a composition worthy of Josef Albers, lighter diamonds above echo darker ones below, suggesting a fictive three-dimensionality to the piece. In between these two registers is shown a narrow band of marching supernaturals, separated from each other by low walls. The staring eyes and fanged smiles of these figures suggests their identity as shamans or sacrificial deities. This is reinforced by the single trophy heads and paired puma heads to each figure’s left, part of their regalia. As well, each of these standing figures holds the hair of a smaller figure to their right, probably representing a victim, who is oriented horizontally to emphasize their total domination by the larger individual. The keeping of trophy heads, while its meaning and specifics are still debated by scholars, was a common practice in the ancient Andes.
provenance
Purchased by Georgia de Havenon, New York; given to Walters Art Museum, 2016.
date
600-900 CE
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
panels (costume components)
imageCount
3
pageCount
3
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
50.5
height
50.5
dimensionsRaw
Tunic H: 19 7/8 × W: 19 7/8 in. (50.5 × 50.5 cm); H with backing: 24 13/16 ×W: 25 3/8 in. (63 × 64.5 cm)
Source extras
cul
Huari
med
camelid fibers
creator_ids
31448
collection_ids
AME
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
0a09d7e0c7aa32cb
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
c6180d5a8114a41a
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
4ba4a26ae18248ad
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no