Peru, South Coast, Paracas (Cavernas) style / c. 300 BCE–200 CE
Tunic
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Tunic as textile (Peru, South Coast, Paracas (Cavernas) style · c. 300 BCE–200 CE).
Fine textiles were one of the most prestigious commodities in the ancient Andes.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this textile as Alpaca wool: plain weave with embroidery and warp substitution.
The museum's collection notes: Brightly dyed wool yarns found in many ancient Peruvian textiles come mainly from alpacas that were domesticated and selectively bred to produce long, soft, lustrous fiber. The finely spun yarns in a broad range of colors as seen on this tunic—well preserved after approximately 2,000 years of burial—attest to the Paracas people’s considerable artistry. A double-headed bird motif appears multiple times throughout the tunic’s design.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtTunicOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.