Chancay Polychrome Textile Tunic | Zigzag Bands, Birds
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chancay, ca. 1000–1250 CE. A wide, short-sleeved tunic woven in warm camelid and cotton yarns, its body divided into vertical bands of crimson, gold, and ivory. Nested chevrons and stepped zigzags climb each panel, punctuated by small polychrome birds worked in supplementary weft, while a continuous procession of profile birds parades along the lower register above a knotted fringe. A slit neck opening interrupts the patterning at center. Garments of this type were worn by the living and later interred with the dead along the central Peruvian coast, where arid conditions preserved the dyes in remarkable saturation. The textile has been professionally cleaned and mounted on a cloth lining for display. Size: 48.5" W x 15.5" H (123.2 cm W x 39.4 cm H).
The Chancay flourished in the valleys north of present-day Lima between roughly 1000 and 1470 CE, in the interval between Wari collapse and Inca annexation. They are known above all for textiles: gauzes, painted cloths, openwork nets, and tapestry-banded tunics produced in quantity by a society that appears to have organized weaving on a near-industrial scale. Birds, both waterfowl and small coastal species, are among their most persistent motifs, repeated in rows across borders in a rhythm that reads as much numerical as pictorial. Chancay dyers drew reds from cochineal and relbunium roots, yellows from local plants, and browns from undyed alpaca and vicuna fiber, a palette echoed exactly in the bands here.
Provenance: Private Chicago collection, acquired from Robert Duff, FL.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73241
Condition
Professionally cleaned and cloth lined. A few scattered minor small losses and some normal light stains, otherwise overall excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chancay, ca. 1000–1250 CE. A wide, short-sleeved tunic woven in warm camelid and cotton yarns, its body divided into vertical bands of crimson, gold, and ivory. Nested chevrons and stepped zigzags climb each panel, punctuated by small polychrome birds worked in supplementary weft, while a continuous procession of profile birds parades along the lower register above a knotted fringe. A slit neck opening interrupts the patterning at center. Garments of this type were worn by the living and later interred with the dead along the central Peruvian coast, where arid conditions preserved the dyes in remarkable saturation. The textile has been professionally cleaned and mounted on a cloth lining for display. Size: 48.5" W x 15.5" H (123.2 cm W x 39.4 cm H).
The Chancay flourished in the valleys north of present-day Lima between roughly 1000 and 1470 CE, in the interval between Wari collapse and Inca annexation. They are known above all for textiles: gauzes, painted cloths, openwork nets, and tapestry-banded tunics produced in quantity by a society that appears to have organized weaving on a near-industrial scale. Birds, both waterfowl and small coastal species, are among their most persistent motifs, repeated in rows across borders in a rhythm that reads as much numerical as pictorial. Chancay dyers drew reds from cochineal and relbunium roots, yellows from local plants, and browns from undyed alpaca and vicuna fiber, a palette echoed exactly in the bands here.
Provenance: Private Chicago collection, acquired from Robert Duff, FL.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73241
Condition
Professionally cleaned and cloth lined. A few scattered minor small losses and some normal light stains, otherwise overall excellent condition.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
