About this artwork
The absence of cultural information about this feathered garment (and the other two featherworks in our collection: 1955.1778 and 1955.1783) demonstrates what knowledge was lost because of undocumented excavations—especially those that took place in the late 19th century before modern archaeological practices were established. Early collectors rarely kept as robust records as someone might today. Nonetheless, these miraculously well-preserved feathered garments remain a testament to Indigenous creativity and artistry in the Americas.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Textiles
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Title
- Half of a Tabard
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Place
- Peru (Object made in)
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Date
- Made 1250–1450
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Medium
- Cotton, plain weave; embellished with feathers (likely from Chilean flamigos, macaws, and Muscovy ducks) knotted and attached with cotton in overcast stitches
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Dimensions
- 75.3 × 75.6 cm (29 5/8 × 29 3/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- Kate S. Buckingham Endowment
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Reference Number
- 1955.1781
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/85514/manifest.json