Fine Chancay textiles were created using a wide range of weaving techniques. Three of the most striking of these—embroidery, supplementary weft weaving and tapestry weaving—are seen here. The design of yellow and magenta birds on the blue textile was embroidered in wool and cotton on plain cotton. Comprising three sections stitched together, the blue base fabric is loosely woven and quite sheer. The pinkish-red embroidery was done in dyed camelid wool, the creamy yellow is in cotton. The bird depicted is probably a seabird, perhaps a pelican, associated with the coastal area of Peru where the Chancay lived.¹

The textile showing three large felines (cat. 176) may have been part of a longer cloth, since both warp ends have been cut. As both weft selvedges are intact, it is clear that the original cloth was quite narrow. The three feline motifs were created by employing supplementary weft techniques on a plain-weave ground, apparently using naturally occurring brown cotton rather than dyeing it that colour. The cotton with which two of the cats are woven is a natural cream-coloured variety, while a brighter, whiter cotton has been used to highlight their claws and mouths. Additional colours individualise the two pale felines—one has a green square nose, and the upper has a red mouth with prominent white teeth. This geometric rendition of teeth is typical of Chancay textiles, and is also seen on their three-dimensional fabric objects, sometimes known as Chancay dolls. The central blue cat is also created from supplementary wefts of cotton, this time dyed, most probably with indigo.

The red sections in all the cats—spots, claws, eyes and noses—are formed from camelid wool, while the white details are from cotton. The blue cat has yellow wool lips and teeth with red cotton mouth. Like many surviving textile grave goods, the upper section of the blue cat shows signs of burial degradation, caused by a combination of atmosphere and exposure to human body fluids during decomposition.

The central section of the red and yellow mantle (cat. 175) is an abstract design of interconnected and repeated felines, woven in three pieces and joined with the customary overcasting or whip stitch. Two red panels across each end display a flying-bird motif. The mantle is fringed in yellow, using the uncut continuous wefts.² The natural brown cotton forms the warps of the textile, while designs are created in slit tapestry. This is achieved largely with camelid wool wefts, although some dark-brown cotton wefts are used in the bird motifs. Most of these dark-brown fibres are missing, probably the result of deterioration from an acidic tannin-based dye.³

Fortunately, many of the ways the Chancay wore textiles can be deciphered from the large number of textile figures (sometimes referred to as dolls) that have been found buried with people in tombs. Although the purpose of these figures is unclear, they have been very useful in defining the functions of various textiles that have not yet been discovered as clothing on interred bodies.⁴

Simeran Maxwell

1. Identification of fibres was made by Jane Wild, Textile Conservator, National Gallery of Australia.

2. The right-hand side of the bird panel has had the warp ends cut and rewoven back into the cloth.

3. Details of the construction of both the cloths with feline designs were provided by Micheline Ford, Senior Textile Conservator, National Gallery of Australia.

4. Rebecca Stone-Miller, To weave for the sun: Andean textiles in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston: Museum of Fine Arts 1992, p. 46.

Fine Chancay textiles were created using a wide range of weaving techniques. Three of the most striking of these—embroidery, supplementary weft weaving and tapestry weaving—are seen here. The design of yellow and magenta birds on the blue textile was embroidered in wool and cotton on plain cotton. Comprising three sections stitched together, the blue base fabric is loosely woven and quite sheer. The pinkish-red embroidery was done in dyed camelid wool, the creamy yellow is in cotton. The bird depicted is probably a seabird, perhaps a pelican, associated with the coastal area of Peru where the Chancay lived.¹

The textile showing three large felines (cat. 176) may have been part of a longer cloth, since both warp ends have been cut. As both weft selvedges are intact, it is clear that the original cloth was quite narrow. The three feline motifs were created by employing supplementary weft techniques on a plain-weave ground, apparently using naturally occurring brown cotton rather than dyeing it that colour. The cotton with which two of the cats are woven is a natural cream-coloured variety, while a brighter, whiter cotton has been used to highlight their claws and mouths. Additional colours individualise the two pale felines—one has a green square nose, and the upper has a red mouth with prominent white teeth. This geometric rendition of teeth is typical of Chancay textiles, and is also seen on their three-dimensional fabric objects, sometimes known as Chancay dolls. The central blue cat is also created from supplementary wefts of cotton, this time dyed, most probably with indigo.

The red sections in all the cats—spots, claws, eyes and noses—are formed from camelid wool, while the white details are from cotton. The blue cat has yellow wool lips and teeth with red cotton mouth. Like many surviving textile grave goods, the upper section of the blue cat shows signs of burial degradation, caused by a combination of atmosphere and exposure to human body fluids during decomposition.

The central section of the red and yellow mantle (cat. 175) is an abstract design of interconnected and repeated felines, woven in three pieces and joined with the customary overcasting or whip stitch. Two red panels across each end display a flying-bird motif. The mantle is fringed in yellow, using the uncut continuous wefts.² The natural brown cotton forms the warps of the textile, while designs are created in slit tapestry. This is achieved largely with camelid wool wefts, although some dark-brown cotton wefts are used in the bird motifs. Most of these dark-brown fibres are missing, probably the result of deterioration from an acidic tannin-based dye.³

Fortunately, many of the ways the Chancay wore textiles can be deciphered from the large number of textile figures (sometimes referred to as dolls) that have been found buried with people in tombs. Although the purpose of these figures is unclear, they have been very useful in defining the functions of various textiles that have not yet been discovered as clothing on interred bodies.⁴

Simeran Maxwell

1. Identification of fibres was made by Jane Wild, Textile Conservator, National Gallery of Australia.

2. The right-hand side of the bird panel has had the warp ends cut and rewoven back into the cloth.

3. Details of the construction of both the cloths with feline designs were provided by Micheline Ford, Senior Textile Conservator, National Gallery of Australia.

4. Rebecca Stone-Miller, To weave for the sun: Andean textiles in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston: Museum of Fine Arts 1992, p. 46.