Textile

Item number Sf806 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

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Data
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Description

The white textile has a brown brocade pattern and is composed of three full loom widths and a part of a fourth. A decorative figure eight stitch in two alternating colours joins the loom widths. Each panel alternates areas of lighter and darker supplementary wefts. The pattern of nested diamonds with straight and serrated edges entirely covers the cloth in rows. The entire fabric is cut in two, transverse to the warp direction, and crudely sewn together, matching up the designs. There are no warp selvedges. S-spun-warp and weft of ground cloth. S and z spun supplementary weft.

History Of Use

The use of this fabric is not clear, although it may have been a mantle or shroud. At least four loom widths of indeterminate length were originally sewn together. There are no interruptions in the sewing for arm or neck openings. However, a central section is missing so a garment cannot be entirely ruled out. Although the concentric diamond is an Inca motif, the use of cotton in a supplementary weft, structure suggests a provincial, coastal variant.

Iconographic Meaning

Concentric diamonds with plain and stepped outlines are one of the standardized waistband patterns in Inca tapestry tunics (J. Rowe). The meaning of this motif is not clear, but like some other standardized designs it may correspond to a specific rank or vocation.