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

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Fragment from the Shoulder of a Tunic
A Male and Female Pair of Condor Staff-Bearers
Wari culture
AD 600-900
Camelid wool; interlocking tapestry weave
19" x 5½"
The tendency toward ever-increasing abstraction in Wari
textile art was a collective phenomenon, surely driven
as much by individual artistry as by the imposition of an
official aesthetic. Certainly, local styles and themes might
have influenced the development of Wari design. That aspect
might be better understood if it were possible to determine
the geographic location of various weaving workshops, thereby
associating stylistic nuances and innovations with distinct
regions (north/south or coast/highlands).
In this case, the compressed rectilinearity and complexity
of the image may not solely reflect the band’s proximity to
the outer sides of the tunic, but also suggests an intensified
approach to figural deconstruction and distortion. The play of
elongated elements on both the vertical and horizontal axes is
especially pronounced.
Without recourse to the overall composition and to the
matching parallel bands of design, the alternating diagrammatic
figures are best decoded through comparison with related
iconography. Two avian staff-bearers alternate in the sequence,
switching back and forth in direction, and expanding or
contracting according to typical Wari canons. The pattern
mosaic obscures a subtle differentiation of attribute and
geometry in each image. 1
The most significant distinction is that one of the pair
(bottom) displays a large knob on its beak, which apparently
alludes to the comb or caruncle of the male condor, while
the other (center) does not, just like the female of the species.
The distinctive shape of this beak indicates that the feature is
deliberate, and that its omission on the second figure is not due
to a design constriction. The duality suggests a male and female
couple, which is a novel variant on the staffbearer theme. (Such
gendered pairs are common among representations of songbirds
and hummingbirds in Early Nasca embroidery. 2 )
This dualistic opposition is carried through in terms of form
and motif. The wing tips, talons, and headdress of the male
bird are defined with curving lines. In the female, those traits
are demarcated with straight lines; in fact, her feet and hands
are humanlike. The small animal heads appended to the edges
of the wings and crowns are also varied: one is catlike, the
other has an exaggerated black-and-white beak, like that of
the macaw.
1 The third partial figure seen at the top of the band reflects the change in direction
that occurred at the shoulder line of the tunic.
2 Mary Frame, “Motion Pictures: Symmetry as Animator, Classifier, and Syntax in the
Nasca Embroideries of Peru,” in Symmetry Comes of Age: The Role of Pattern in Culture,
ed. Dorothy Washburn and Donald Crowe (2004): 133-176.
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