Object Notes

Andean cultures did not have a recognizable writing system prior to the Spanish conquest in the early 1530s; however, they did utilize a system of recording through knotted cords, known as quipu (khipu; “knot” in Quechua).

This impressive tunic reflects a pattern common to Huari (Wari) provincial textiles.

The standardization of design and regional production that distinguish Inca art from preceding Andean cultures can be seen foremost in the fine tapestry-woven textiles, or cumbi (qompi), exclusive to Inca nobles.

In the funerary bundles recovered from Paracas burials, layer upon layer of handwoven garments wrapped each body. The largest and most impressive of the Paracas textiles is the mantle, which was worn as a shoulder cloth. In this example, two pieces of dark blue cloth were seamed together to form the ground cloth, onto which red squares and a wide, bird‑patterned border were embroidered.

The body of this unusual vessel appears to be the torso of a human figure with its arms thrown to the back. A multi-headed serpentine form encircles the body.

The deserts of Peru’s Paracas peninsula, whose name means “sand falling like rain,” have preserved fragile objects deposited in cemeteries there some two thousand years ago.

The name Paracas (para-ako) means “sand falling like rain” in the indigenous Quechua language, highlighting the harsh desert environment. Despite the stark conditions, the Paracas culture developed a vibrant polychrome visual tradition in their textiles, ceramics, and other visual arts.

Paracas musical instruments are rare, yet music almost certainly figured in Paracas religious festivals. The sounds of ceramic trumpets such as this one may have accompanied these celebrations. The remarkable length of this instrument must have necessitated either an extra person or a brace to support it when it was played.