Artwork Page for Feathered Panel

Details / Information for Feathered Panel

Feathered Panel

600–900

Peru, Far South Coast, Pampa Ocoña, 7th-10th century

Medium
Papagayo macaw feathers knotted onto strings and stitched to cotton plain-weave cloth; camelid fiber plain-weave cloth upper tape
Measurements
Overall: 81.3 x 223.5 cm (32 x 88 in.); Mounted: 94 x 236.2 cm (37 x 93 in.)
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 2002.93
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

This panel is entirely covered in the feathers of blue and yellow macaws.

Description

Of all the luxury textile types made in the ancient Andes, feathered cloth was one of the most esteemed. This panel may come from a buried offering that contained more than a half-dozen large human-effigy vessels made of ceramic; inside the vessels were 96 rolled panels, all covered with the feathers of the tropical blue-and-yellow macaw. The ties that survive on the upper corners of some panels suggest they served as hangings that transformed a space from mundane to radiant and ceremonial.
A rectangular cotton textile is covered with four quadrants of dense macaw feathers. The top-left and bottom-right quadrants are vibrant blue, while the top-right and bottom-left are bright yellow. Small, overlapping feathers create a soft, uniform texture across the surface. A thin tan fabric band runs along the top edge. The checkerboard composition highlights a stark geometric contrast, utilizing the natural brilliance and materiality of the integrated feathers.

Feathered Panel

600–900

Peru, Far South Coast, Pampa Ocoña, 7th-10th century

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