Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

This mantle would have been used by an adult male, as clothing or for ceremonial purposes, or for both. The dark blue plain weave field is composed of a horizontal camelid fiber warp and camelid fiber weft. The border is a horizontal cotton warp, with a cotton weft. Camelid fiber one-faced stem stitch curvilinear embroidery in dark blue, yellow, and green, brown, white, red, pink and yellow green is used to represent turning falcons that appear on the red border and the field. A band of one-faced cross looping extends around the outer edge of the border and the fringe (NK). There are 37 field figures and 31 border figures (one figure is missing in the border). From Mary Frame's notes: Although there is a 38cm area missing from one border, the color and symmetry pattern indicate only one figure is missing. There would have been 15 figures on each border originally, for a total of 69. There are two orientations in the borders and three in the field, including one aberrant orientation. Two figures in the bracket ends of the borders do not fit with the border alternation; two field figures between the brackets do not fit with the field alternation. The border with the missing section was probably slightly shorter than the field, just as the other border is. There are three variants of bird figures executed in dark blue, yellow and dark green. Two figures in the bracket ends of the borders do not fit with the border alternation; two field figures between the brackets do not fit with the field alteration. The eye, breast, wing and tail markings, which are rendered in precise details, are usual falcon attributes. The raptors are represented with backward bent necks, in a backward bent posture. From a wider study of the iconography, I suspect the back bent posture is associated with sacrifice and prey. A forward bent posture is usually associated with sacrificers and predators. Figures with falcon attributes are numerous among the embroideries and they usually appear to be at different stages in the transformation from mythical human to falcon. Conceivably, a falcon figure such as the one represented on this mantle might represent the end point in a transformation continuum. A small number of birds are shown with backward bent necks: BM 86.224.95 (ponchito) and TM 91.126 (border) show birds, possibly hawks or falcons, with necks bent so the head is entirely inverted. Other birds (MMS 33.149.102) and figures transforming toward becoming falcons (Sailor #10) also occur in a backward bent posture.

Size: adult. Probable wearer: male. Field: horizontal camelid fiber warp, camelid fiber weft, dark blue color. Border: horizontal cotton warp, cotton weft, red color. Camelid fiber embroidery. The cotton foundation fibers of the border are actively deteriorating. The plain weave field is constructed of two webs and the condition of the camelid foundation fibers in the center is slightly better than those of the border, but this area is also deteriorating. The mantle is wider than usual. (NK) Condition fair; complete but with losses. From Mary Frame's notes: This is a Paracas "double fish" mantle on which pairs of the same figure, probably a shark because of the gill lines behind the eyes, are tightly associated with a smaller version of the figure between them. The eyes are swiveled to show frontally, or from above. A possible mythological transformation from shark to human, or vice versa, is suggested because there are arms projecting from the bodies of the fish. Mary Frame attributes a reverse curve that is repeated on the crossed looping of the seam cover adjacent to the fringe as a probable double-headed serpent. The predatory nature of the shark and/or killer whale (sometimes referred to as "the master of fishes") is made very clear in images on other textiles that portray the predator biting off the leg of a fleeing human. Human counterparts of this imagery often carry knives and heads, seemingly equating predation and sacrifice. A matching poncho in the Brooklyn Museum collection (34.1583) displays the same iconography and similar colors. Other related textiles in the museum's collection are 34.1594 and 86.224.90.

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

Size: adult; probable wearer: male. Plain weave, with the field consisting of a horizontal camelid fiber warp and camelid fiber weft. The borders are woven with a horizontal cotton warp, cotton weft, and camelid fiber embroidery; one corner is missing. The mantle has a dark green background with a 24 centimeter fringed border on each side and small embroidered squares all over. It is decorated with a formalized animal motif in blue, green and yellow. Mary Frame's notes: Multiple feline figures are nested within the outline of "linear figures." The ears, tail, and arrangement of limbs and head are consistent with feline representations. Filler figures are cats, humans(?) and snakes. Cats also repeat in the interior border and on the looped seam cover. The number of figures on the mantle field is relatively large in comparison to other "linear" checkerboard mantles. Three other textiles in the Brooklyn Museum collection have figures that relate to those on 34.1554. This example is the most feline-like; 34.1541a,b and 47.13.2 are predominantly feline with some human attributes, and 34.1546 is a predominantly human figure with a few feline traits.

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

Size: adult. Probable wearer: male. Field: cotton warp, cotton weft, plain weave. Borders: cotton warp, cotton weft with camelid fiber embroidery. The border foundation is very weak. A dark blue field with dark brown warps in the borders. The embroidery uses red for the border background, and green, yellow, and dark blue colors. According to Mary Frame, variants of this motif most often occur on turbans (head cloths). Some have feline or human heads, rather than snake heads. (See Anne Paul, Nawpa Pacha 20, pp. 41-60). On the border, the embroidered images of interlocked snakes with slanted bodies in an S- or Z-twist direction are analogous to the structures of cords. Filler figures of coiled snakes surround the interlocked figures.

Collection of Christopher B. Martin

Gift of George D. Pratt