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Panel

A work made of cotton, plain weave; painted.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of cotton, plain weave; painted.

Date:

A.D. 1000/1476

Artist:

Probably Chancay
Probably central coast, Peru

About this artwork

This painted panel depicts an anthropomorphic figure with a crescent headdress accompanied by two birds. Certain details of the figure—especially the triangularly stacked tail and the beak-like mouth and tongue—are often associated with depictions of the caiman, a large reptile native to South America. Caimans were revered in Andean culture for their ability to transition between land and water, which implied cosmic duality and mythical power. Although the top right corner has been replaced, the artist’s hand is discernible in the differences in line thickness and intensity of color, achieved with only a single colorant.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Culture

Chancay

Title

Panel

Place

Peru (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1000–1476

Medium

Cotton, plain weave; painted

Dimensions

34.3 × 30.8 cm (13 1/2 × 12 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Kate S. Buckingham Endowment

Reference Number

1955.1671

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/85217/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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