Band
1250-1470
Medium
Cotton and wool (camelid), slit tapestry weave; wool (camelid), tassels: wrapped and embroidered in chain stitches
Dimensions
184.2 × 7.6 cm (72 1/2 × 3 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
85124
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woven band hails from the Chimú culture of Peru's north coast, created between 1250 and 1470 during the height of their empire, just before the Inca conquest. Measuring an impressive 184 cm long only 7.6 cm wide, it served likely as a decorative sash, headdress tie, or garment edging—common in Andean societies where textiles signified wealth and status. Crafted from cotton and fine camelid wool (from llamas or alpacas), its vibrant colors and patterns reflect the Chimú's mastery of fiber arts, rivaling their famed goldwork and adobe cities like Chan Chan. The band's slit tapest...
About the Artist
Chimú
The Chimú, a preeminent pre-Columbian culture of Peru's northern coast, flourished from approximately 900 to 1470 CE as the Kingdom of Chimor, emerging in the wake of the Moche civilization's decline and incorporating influences from the Sican, Wari, and Cajamarca cultures. Centered in the vast adobe metropolis of Chan Chan—the largest city in the Americas before the Inca, housing up to 60,000 peo...