Cuff
Unknown Artist
7th–8th century
Medium
Camelid hair, cotton
Dimensions
W. 4 1/4 × D. 15 1/4 in. (10.8 × 38.7 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Woven
Culture
Moche-Wari
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Jane Costello Goldberg, from the Collection of Arnold I. Goldberg, 1986
Accession Number
1987.394.708
Art Historical Context
This exquisite cuff, crafted in the 7th–8th century by an unknown artist from the Moche-Wari culture of ancient Peru, offers a glimpse into the sophisticated textile traditions of the Andes. Emerging during a transitional period between the innovative Moche civilization—renowned for their vivid ceramics and intricate motifs—and the expansive Wari empire, this reflects the cultural fusion and technological prowess of pre-Columbian societies. Worn likely as part of elite garments or ceremonial attire, such cuffs symbolized status and were integral to social and ritual life. Woven from camelid h...