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
