Paracassamlingen » Poncho

Fish poncho

josef — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:45:56 +0000

A creature resembling a fish but with a human-looking arm. The figure is embroidered in rows on the border and in squares on the rest of the poncho, which has motifs the same colour in diagonal rows. The poncho matches the turban item no. 1935.32.0191 in the same showcase.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven fabric. The embroidery is stem-stitch in linear style. The borders are woven in cotton and the poncho itself with woollen yarn.

Dating and origin

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

Painted poncho

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:55:30 +0000

This textile is both painted and embroidered, which is unusual for Paracas textiles. There are embroidered figures round the edges and in each corner, but the middle part and fringes are painted. The textile may have been a poncho with front and back fringes, but most Paracas ponchos do not have borders all the way round like this one.

Motif description

The figure, which is embroidered on the border, is anthropomorphic and appears to be wearing a tunic, skirt, anklets and hair pendants. A headpiece, feather headdress and two feline ears are visible on its head. Something resembling fish or sharps dangles from its head and belt. The figure is holding a trophy head. All figures have their heads in the same direction but each other one is inverted.

There are smaller motifs embroidered in the corners, consisting of figures with shark-like bodies, human arms, human faces with headpieces and hair pendants.

The middle part is hard to interpret because large parts of it are missing. Four large anthropomorphic figures are distinguishable, one in each corner. They are clad in tunic, loincloth and leggings and have face masks. Several smaller figures are also visible, and one of these is holding a trophy head and a knife. There are also many long, twisted painted bands.

The fringes are painted like snakes but also present other motifs – beans, other plants, headpieces and geometric patterns.

Material and technique

Painting on plain-woven cotton fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style. The poncho is made up of nine woven pieces sewn together, two of them for the woven fringes.

Dating and origin

Paracas Necropolis, Intermedio Temprano 2-3 (c. 100 AD – 300 AD)

Cat poncho

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:37:59 +0000

Two felines facing each other, with smaller cats in the interstices. The motif occurs with two different colour schemes.

Material and technique

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

Dating and origin

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

Bird poncho

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:33:09 +0000

A standing bird with wings outstretched. The neck is bent in such a way that the beak almost touches the legs. All the birds in a row have their heads turned in the same direction, but their beaks pointing alternately inwards and outwards.

Material and technique

Embroidered in woollen yarn on cotton fabric. The fabric is plain-woven in one piece. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style. The triangular points are blanket-stitched over a support thread.

Dating and origin

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

Black poncho with woven fringes

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:12:33 +0000

Plain-woven woollen fabric. The fringes are plain-woven over 12 threads. There is a sewn-up neck opening in the middle of the weave.

Dating and origin

Paracas, Peru (c. 100 BC – 200 AD)

Cat poncho

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:35:23 +0000

Two felines, one larger than the other, apparently having the same tail. The smaller cat has a protruding tongue terminating in a trophy head. The motifs overlap, and the interstices are filled with smaller cats.

Material and technique

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

Dating and origin

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

killer whale poncho

josef — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:43:09 +0000

Motif composed of several different animals. The same motif occurs in textiles 1935.32.0187 (showcases 2) and 1935.32.0185 (showcases 21). The figure has a comb, white ruff and feathers resembling the Peruvian condor (Vultur gyphus). It has side-fins like a shark’s. The muzzle, jaw and head colouring resemble those of the killer whale (grampus). The picture also includes a human hand holding up a trophy head, and the figure has feet which are not human, because one toe points in the opposite direction from the others. In the border the motif is repeated in four different colour combinations, alternately facing right and left. The middle part has the same figure in squares, diagonally arranged according to colour.

Material and technique

Embroidered with woollen yarn on plain-woven woollen fabric. The embroidery is in stem-stitch in colour-field style. Round the edges of the poncho are points sewn in blanket stitch over a support thread.

Dating and origin

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