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

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Fragment from a Garment
Interlocking Fish
Ica culture, South Coast
AD 1000-1476
Camelid wool; interlocking tapestry weave
7" x 19¾"
The vibrantly patterned textiles worn by Andean nobility and state officials must
have been a stunning sight. The visual impact could only have been intensified
when such exquisite regalia was seen against the impressive backdrop supplied by
the multicolored mural paintings and carved friezes adorning ceremonial and urban
architecture.
The synergy between the color and designs applied both to cloth and to temple and
palatial structures is evoked by this fresco-like composition. The characteristic Andean
fusion of figuration and abstraction yields an eye-dazzling, interlocking configuration
based on a school of swimming fish (horizontally) and skates (vertically).
Design compartmentalization, small-scale motifs, strong diagonals and black outlines
define the Ica textile aesthetic. This culture encompassed a complex of affiliated societies
that developed on the south coast during the 500-year period between the waning of
Wari imperial influence and the advent of Inka domination.
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