Turban panel

ca. 1000 - 1470

Valued as articles of great prestige and considered more valuable than gold, Andean weavings were indicators of high social status, expressing rank and authority in life and in death. Dozens of intricate loom and finger-weaving techniques were artfully applied to age-old traditions of fashioning prestigious garments. This turban panel has openwork executed using a gauze weave technique. The slit tapestry weave fringe on the lower end of the panel shares the same warps as the main panel of the turban. The colorful design includes men wearing striped caps similar to stocking caps with the ends hanging down the back.

Cotton warp, alpaca wool weft

33 1/2 x 8 in. (85.09 x 20.32 cm)

Gift of Jack Lenor Larsen and Mr. Chan Khan

69.129

Provenance: Jack Lenor Larsen and Mr. Chan Khan, New York City; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, December 10, 1969

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Patterns of Fiber, December 18 - March 8, 1981

Published ReferencesHoskins, Nancy Arthur. Universal Stitches for Weaving, Embroidery and Other Fiber Arts, Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2013, p. 27.

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