Panel

LambayequeWW-1000-131963

1000·Cotton and wool (camelid), slit tapestry weave with eccentric and wrapping outlining wefts and uncut weft loop pile; embroidered with wool (camelid) in couching stitch; slit tapestry weave with eccentric wefts, finished with extended weft loop fringe; cotton, plain weave; joined by overcast stitches·62.6 × 26.7 cm (24 5/8 × 10 1/2 in.)

<p>For this colorful panel, two figures stand in frontal view. They wear large crescent headdresses and hold staffs; they also are shown with prominent noses and distinctive ear ornaments. The combination of these features and regalia is characteristic of the "Sicán Lord," a figure believed to represent the humanized version of Naymlap, a legendary ancestral lord in the Lambayeque region who was said to have evaded death by growing wings and flying away. The sides and bottom borders of this panel are filled with round motifs—rendered using a variety of color combinations—that may represent bundles of gathered cotton or cotton bolls.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1000
Medium: Cotton and wool (camelid), slit tapestry weave with eccentric and wrapping outlining wefts and uncut weft loop pile; embroidered with wool (camelid) in couching stitch; slit tapestry weave with eccentric wefts, finished with extended weft loop fringe; cotton, plain weave; joined by overcast stitches
Dimensions: 62.6 × 26.7 cm (24 5/8 × 10 1/2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Lambayeque

Artist

Lambayeque

Textile

Lambayeque is a city on the coast of northern Peru and capital of the homonymous district and province in the department of Lambayeque. It is located 4.7 km from the city of Chiclayo and 13 km from the Pacific Ocean. It is an important cultural and educational center of the department as it houses some of the most important museums in the country, such as the Royal Tombs Museum and the Brüning Museum. It was founded in 1553 under the name of San Pedro de Lambayeque by order of the Viceroy Conde de Nieva.

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