Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru, Nazca to early Chimu culture, ca. 200 to 1100 CE. A superb and rare woven cotton and camelid wool panel covered with colorful bird feathers forming a grid pattern - over 500 years old and remarkably well preserved! Specialized artisans would attach the feathers onto cords and sew them into the plain textile weave. The feather tips are then cut and shaped to create the desired pattern and pile. These plumes probably came from the aptly named scarlet and blue-and-yellow macaws. Clothing such as tunics and cloaks were made from feathers for the wealthy and elite, the iridescent colors were spectacular in the sunlight, making naturally dyed cloth pale in comparison! Size of textile: 19.5" L x 10" W (49.5 cm x 25.4 cm); modern backing: 22.25" L x 14.25" W (56.5 cm x 36.2 cm)

Colorful feathers were prized materials in Andean cultures and used by the elite for clothing and ornaments. Avian motifs and the use of feathers were symbolic in Andean cultures, for birds were sacred animals that could fly between worlds and were messengers for the gods. These ancient cultures had a complex relationship with birds, especially the rainforest species - their stunning plumage was highly desirable and worth nearly the same as precious metals. It is possible that live, caged birds as well as their plucked feathers were imported from the lower altitudes to supply this demand.

Provenance: private Maryville, Tennessee, USA collection, acquired January 1999; ex-Economos Works of Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

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#188274

  • Condition: Textile is a fragment from a larger piece. Losses and fraying to blue fibers near the right side. Some missing feathers along edges, but most are intact. The feathers are covered in a museum quality netting mesh and professionally mounted on a modern cotton textile over a wooden frame to display and protect the piece.

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SHIPPING LOGISTICS: As a courtesy to our clients worldwide, Artemis Gallery is happy to handle shipping for most lots sold, taking the hassle (and high cost!) out of having to arrange shipping on your own. Shipping costs will be added to your invoice at auction's end based on information given when you registered to bid - we strive to offer the most economical shipping costs to ensure safe transit. Our shippers of choice are DHL for International shipments and UPS for domestic shipments, but we are able to ship via other carriers at the buyer's expense as deemed necessary or by request.

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August 16, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000