CHIMÚ culture North 1100 – 1470 AD
Loincloth 1100-1470 AD cotton , woven439.5 (h) x 272.2 (w) cm National Gallery of Australia, Canberra NGA 1981.1093 Gift of Edward H. Merrin 1981
Chimú male costume combined a tunic, loincloth and tubular hat. Large loincloths such as this were probably worn loosely draped around a man’s lower torso like a skirt. Chimú garments were often decorated with bird motifs; here pelicans carry trophy heads in their beaks. Large sea birds were an excellent source of guano, used to fertilise crops. They were revered by coastal cultures in ancient Peru because they moved between realms, diving into water to enter the underworld.
Chimú male costume combined a tunic, loincloth and tubular hat. Large loincloths such as this were probably worn loosely draped around a man’s lower torso like a skirt. Chimú garments were often decorated with bird motifs; here pelicans carry trophy heads in their beaks. Large sea birds were an excellent source of guano, used to fertilise crops. They were revered by coastal cultures in ancient Peru because they moved between realms, diving into water to enter the underworld.
Chimú male costume combined a tunic, loincloth and tubular hat. Large loincloths such as this were probably worn loosely draped around a man’s lower torso like a skirt. Chimú garments were often decorated with bird motifs; here pelicans carry trophy heads in their beaks. Large sea birds were an excellent source of guano, used to fertilise crops. They were revered by coastal cultures in ancient Peru because they moved between realms, diving into water to enter the underworld.
