Textile Production in the Andes

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Artists have been weaving in the Andean region of South America for thousands of years. They use natural resources such as cotton, camelid hair, and insect and plant dyes to produce striking textiles of complex forms, colors, and designs. The labor-intensive process of creating a textile begins with sheering camelids for the raw hair and picking raw cotton. These fibers are cleaned, combed, and spun into thread, which is dyed with natural colorants and woven together using a variety of techniques and tools.

Camelid Fiber

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Camelid fiber primarily refers to hair from the camelid (Camelidae) family, including llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos. Based on genetic studies, guanacos and vicuñas appear to be the wild counterparts of domesticated llamas and alpacas.

1985.157 Double spout and bridge vessel with double-headed serpent (Peru, Wari)


GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The double spout and bridge vessel form was common to cultures on the south coast of Peru from the Early Horizon period (900-200 BCE), appearing in Paracas and Nazca (Nasca) ceramic arts. By the 7th century, the highland&nbs

Satyr

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Satyrs, part-human and part-goat, were popular figures during the Renaissance, as they harkened back to the classical hybrid monsters of ancient Greek and Roman art. They were companions to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, and thus creatures who loved the physical pleasures of wine, women, and wind instruments.