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

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Fragment from a Tunic?
Feline with Trophy Head
Chimú or North-Central Coast culture
AD 1200-1476
Cotton, camelid wool; supplementary
weave (brocade)
16½" x 22"
The age-old Andean artistic and ritualistic theme of the predatory feline with a
human trophy head is treated in the simplified pictorial style associated with the
later expressions of north and central coast cultures (Chimú and Chancay). Gone are
the cryptic metaphors and allusions devised by Wari, Paracas and Chavín artists. But
this large-scale image has a boldness that speaks across the centuries, conveyed by the
directness of the feline's gaze.
Typically, in these late coastal traditions, the cat is drawn with extremely pointed ears
and angular features. That sharp line is used effectively here, not only to define the ears,
brows and diamond eyes, but also to accentuate the animal's arched back. This jagged
line evokes a mountain-scape; it may also describe the raised hackles of an alert and
aggressive beast. The tightly coiled spiral tale is also a particularly Chimú visual and
architectural concept.
The conjunction, symmetry and similarity of the two masklike faces are suggestive. The
hair dangling from the upside-down human head mirrors the whiskers or markings on
the cat’s face. That human/feline symbiosis is the fundamental concept of Andean and
South American shamanism.
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