The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 14, 2025

Mantle

c. 300 BCE–200 CE

Peru, South Coast, Paracas style

(Cavernas)
camelid fiber: plain weave with embroidery
Overall: 154.9 x 292.1 cm (61 x 115 in.); Mounted: 162.6 x 299.7 cm (64 x 118 in.)
The Norweb Collection 1946.226
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The profusion and decoration of textiles in Paracas burials shows the value placed on cloth.

Description

Buried in shaft-tombs, or rectangular sunken chambers, the Paracas dead were wrapped in layers of cloth and accompanied by pottery, food, and other offerings. The dry environment of the Paracas Peninsula helped preserve many of these textiles, including richly ornamented garments buried with important individuals. This mantle, probably worn like a cloak, relates closely to the tunic (CMA 1946.227) and long headband (CMA 1946.228) due to their shared imagery. Its double-headed bird motifs— embroidered in vivid red, blue, yellow, and green yarns—likely had symbolic significance, although the specific meaning remains unknown.
  • ?-1946
    Emery May Holden Norweb [1895-1984] and Raymond Henry Norweb [1894-1983], Cleveland OH, 1946, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1946
    The Cleveland Museum of Art
  • Wise, John, and Wendell Clark Bennett. Ancient Peruvian Art, Lent by John Wise, Esq., New York; an Exhibition of the Wadsworth Atheneum, Opening March 3, 1937, Hartford, Connecticut. 1937. Cat. No. 127
  • Gallery 232-Andean Textile Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 28, 2019-November 9, 2020).
    Gallery 232- Andean Textile Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 20, 2013-August 25, 2014).
    Art of the Americas. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 9, 1945-January 6, 1946).
    Ancient Peruvian Textiles. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (March 5, 1941-April 6, 1941).
    The John Wise Collection of Ancient Peruvian Art. The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT (March 3, 1937-).
  • {{cite web|title=Mantle|url=false|author=|year=c. 300 BCE–200 CE|access-date=14 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1946.226