Paracassamlingen » Border

Yellow Border

josef — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:51:11 +0000

This border has one of the Paracas collection’s most highly detailed motifs. It probably comes from the same mantle as the fragments numbered 1935.32.0211.

Motif description

A quasi-human figure with a head which seems to be upside down, perhaps because it is turned backwards. The figure is wearing a tunic with sleeves, leggings, anklets, bracelets and hair pendants. Parts of the face are covered by a large whiskered mask. A headpiece is visible on the forehead. Two trophy bodies, seemingly with painted faces, are suspended from the head. The heads of the trophy bodies are also depicted upside down. The arms of the large figure are stretched upwards to one side of the body. One hand holds a small trophy head, while the other holds a larger head and two headpieces.

A large serpentine band emanates from the figure’s headpiece. It is covered by an unidentified object and on the end of it are the face and forelegs of a feline animal. There are two smaller twisted bands near the trophy bodies. A band issuing from the mouth of the large figure terminates in a feline motif. There are similar cats on the points along the edge of the border.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven cotton fabric. The embroidery is in colour-field style and stem-stitched. The sewn points along the side are blanket-stitched over a support thread. The border is embroidered in 23 different colours.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 2 (c. 100 AD – 200 AD)

Border with fringes

josef — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:41:09 +0000

An anthropomorphic figure with its head tilted backwards, causing it to look upside down. The figure is dressed in a tunic and leggings and has a headdress, hair pendants, bracelets and anklets. The feet are not anthropomorphic, because each has one toe pointing in the opposite direction to the others. A figure having both anthropomorphic and avian features emerges from the mouth. There are several serpentine bands emerging from the large figure.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven woollen fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style. The square for each pattern figure is tasselled.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1B-2 (c. 100 BC – 200 AD)

Bird border

josef — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:36:10 +0000

A bird with its neck bent and one leg stretched up towards its beak. Each bird occupies a separate square and the birds are all turned in the same direction but with their heads alternately facing right and left. The squares have different combinations of colours, except for the three sewn onto one end of the border.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven cotton fabric. The border is in two pieces, joined together. Its embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1B-2 (c. 100 BC – 200 AD)

Border with fringe

josef — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:30:46 +0000

An anthropomorphic figure dressed in tunic, leggings and anklets, with a feather headdress and a face mask. Serpentine bands emerge from the tunic and mouth. In its hand the figure holds an unidentified object. The feet are non-human, i.e. they each have a toe pointing in the opposite direction to the others.

All the figures have their heads pointing in the same direction, but are otherwise alternately turned to the right and left.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven cotton fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1B-2 (c. 100 BC – 200 AD)

Border with two figures together

josef — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:25:12 +0000

This border is unusual among Paracas textiles in having a motif of two figures facing each other. Otherwise anthropomorphic figures are usually depicted singly.

Motif description

Two figures are each holding one end of a headpiece. One figure is wearing a short tunic, feline headgear, a headpiece, hair pendants and a necklace. One hand is holding a fan. The other figure is dressed in a mantle, long skirt, hair pendants and mollusc-shell necklace and is holding a tuber in one hand. Serpentine bands emerge from both figures. Alternate pairs of figures are inverted.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven cotton fabric. The border has a different ground weave from the points sewn along both sides. The mantle itself was probably made of the same fabric as the points. The border is cut off at both ends. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 2 (c. 100 AD – 200 AD)

Border with pampas cats

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:59:11 +0000

Eight felines, probably pampas cats (Oncifelus colocolo or Leopardus colocolo) are depicted on the border. There are trophy heads on the upper part of the cats’ bodies and human face on each paw. All the cats have their heads turned in the same direction, but alternate cats are inverted.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven woollen fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1B-2 (c. 100 BC – 200 AD)

Border with figure with long hair

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:26:10 +0000

Fifteen anthropomorphic figures in a row, viewed frontally. They have long hair hanging down on one side of the face. Their faces are painted and their tongues protruding. In its hands each figure holds four feathered spears, a knife and a long stave.

Each figure occupies a square of its own with the figure’s complementary colour as background – yellow on mauve and vice versa, red on green and vice versa. The figures all have their heads pointing in the same direction, but alternate figures are reversed. Originally this border was presumably part of a mantle matching tunic 1935.32.0120 (showcase 11).

Material and technique

Embroidered in woollen yarn on plain-woven woollen fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in linear style.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1A (c. 100 BC – 100 AD)

Witch border

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:18:40 +0000

A figure resembling a fish, holding a trophy head in its hands.

This motif occurs in four different reiterated colour combinations. Each figure in one colour has the complementary colour as its background colour, i.e. yellow on bluish mauve and vice versa, red on green and vice versa. This border was presumably part of a mantle. Tunic 1935.32.0120 has a similar figure.

Material and technique

Embroidered in woollen yarn on plain-woven woollen fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in linear style. The stitches with which the actual figure is embroidered conform to its lines, and so the appearance of the motif depends very much on the method used for embroidering it.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1A (c. 100 BC – 100 AD)

Border with long fringe

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:14:10 +0000

Anthropomorphic figure with a smaller figure inside it. Trophy bodies, heart-shaped faces (possibly trophy heads) and feline animals are also visible in the motif.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn in tubular cross-knit loop stitch in linear style. The border is sewn without a ground weave.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Horizonte Temprano 10 – Intermedio Temprano 1 (c. 100 BC – 100 AD)

Trophy head border

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:10:31 +0000

An anthropomorphic figure, holding a knife in one hand. There are four trophy heads by the figure’s head, one at its chin and three over its head. All the figures point in the same direction, but each other one is reversed.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven cotton fabric. The embroidery is stem-stitch in colour-field style. The background embroidery is sewn in the longitudinal (warp) direction of the border, but the small piece at the end is sewn in the other (weft) direction. Due to the difference in thread count between warp and weft, the stitches and, consequently, the figures are different sizes.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1 (c. 100 BC – 100 AD)

Border with double fringes

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:06:03 +0000

Anthropomorphic figure, viewed frontally. The figure has a large headdress with a similar but inverted figure in the middle. Long bands suspended from the headdress are attached to a tailed figure.

This motif occurs in three colour variations (basically yellow, blue or green), all with a red background.

Material and technique

The border is stem-stitch embroidered in woollen yarn and in linear style. Hardly any ground weave is visible, but it is probably a plain-woven cotton fabric.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Horizonte Temprano 10 – Intermedio Temprano 1 (c. 100 BC – 100 AD)

Condor border

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:15:37 +0000

A bird, wings uplifted, viewed from one side. It has a comb and a white ruff like the male Peruvian condor (Vultur gryphus). Each bird is placed in a square of varying colour – red bird on green background and vice versa, blue bird on yellow background and vice versa. The border may have been part of a mantle or skirt.

Material and technique

Embroidered in woollen yarn on plain-woven woollen fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Temprano 1 (c. 100 AD – 200 AD)

Unfinished border

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:08:30 +0000

The unfinished state of this border enables one to see how textile work could proceed. First the outlines of each figure were embroidered in what was to be the background colour. Rows of stitches were embroidered in between the figures to ensure equal distancing. The background was then covered with close stitching. Last of all the figures were filled in. In this border none of the figures has been embroidered and the background is also unfinished.

Motif description

An anthropomorphic figure viewed full face. It is holding a stave in one hand and a knife in the other. It is wearing a tunic and what appears to be a belt. Trophy heads dangle from the belt on both sides, and two serpentine bands, terminating in trophy heads, emerge from the figure’s head. All figures are facing in the same direction, but every other figure is reversed.

Material and technique

Embroidered in woollen yarn on a plain-woven woollen fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1A (c. 100 BC – 100 AD)

Purple border

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:28:40 +0000

See motif description for turban/mantle 1935.32.0184 in the same showcase.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven cotton fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style. The ground weave is missing from large parts of the border. The outer edge and one end of the border have points sewn in blanket stitch over a support thread.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 1B-2 (c. 100 BC – 200 AD)