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

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Band from a Tunic
Ritualist with Staff
Lambayeque culture
AD 1000-1375
Cotton, camelid wool; slit tapestry weave
8½" x 4"
Literature
Schmidt 1929, 493, 494.
Despite the underlying rectilinear structure established by the warp and weft, this
unusual image achieves a distinctive curving line closer in style to fineline drawing
or painting.
Delicate spirals impart an energetic quality to an abstract cruciform motif, which is
carried through in the strong sense of forward motion conveyed by the stooped or
leaning figure, the streaming feathers decorating his conical helmet and the crooked staff.
This odd version of the standard emblem terminates in a human head. The attributes
(especially the posture and staff) suggest that they identify a specific character from
legend or history.
The rich brown color palette, offset by a judicious use of bright white, is typical of
north coast traditions from the Lambayeque or Pacatnamu region. The textile is related
to material discovered at Pachacamac, the famed pilgrimage and oracle center on the
central coast, which evidently received tribute from across the Chimú realm.
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