Shamans, Supernaturals & Animal Spirits: Mythic Figures From the Ancient Andes

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Panel "Monkey" Lord
Moche-Wari culture, Huarmey Valley
AD 750-10000
Cotton, camelid wool; interlocking and slit tapestry weave
8" x 9½"
Published
de Lavalle 1985, 239.
Literature
Conklin 1979, 177, fig. 15.
Unraveling the meaning of this spectacular, richly textured image leads in multiple
directions and to diverse visual sources, ranging from Moche to Wari.
The staff-bearer is conceived in the visual currency of the north coast cultures. Anchored
in space by a thick, unfurling tail, he has the regal demeanor and erect pose of a divine
or paramount individual. This splendid figure assumes a simian form, exploiting the
implicit likeness of monkey and man, but also displays the cosmological stepped-cross
motifs that adorn Chimú felines and coatis. The antler headdress, carved staff or oar,
breechcloth and short tunic patterned with trophy heads emulate local emblems and
styles of dress.
The weaver's ingenuity here is exemplified by the way the Monkey Lord’s tail
simultaneously turns into the body of an adjacent serpentine/dragon-like creature,
whose large head quivers with emanations. The preponderance of angled lines and
dynamic zigzags imparts a strong sense of energy to the composition.
Among many significant details, the forked or crescent element clenched between the
deity's teeth can be singled out. While this may describe the U-shaped nasal ornament
worn by the region’s elites, the motif also suggests a symbol for song or speech (or
the particular sounds associated with death rituals). The sign may allude as well to the
connection between monkeys and water. Among tropical forest cultures, the loud roar
of howler monkeys is thought to presage the arrival of rain—surely one of the powers
associated with this supernatural being.
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