Object Name: Tunic
Place of Origin: Chimu culture, north coast of Peru
Date: Late Intermediate Period, 1150 – 1450 CE.
Materials Used: Cotton wrap (3-ply, Z-spun, two-toned white and brown), camelid-hair weft (Z-spun, S-plied), dyed; weft-faced plain weave and tapestry, slit joins
Dimensions: 90 x 43 cm
Credit line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert L. Lucas Jr. X86.3965.

Source: Elena Phipps, The Peruvian Four-Selvaged Cloth. Ancient Threads / New Directions. Fowler Museum Textile Series, No. 12, Los Angeles, 2013
Two four-selvaged panels are stitched up the middle. The woven tabs that make up the fringe are continuous warp.
Four narrow panels stitched together and folded at the top were used to create this short, wide male upper garment or tunic. It has a beautifully woven cochineal red surface with diagonally aligned abstract designs of camelids and birds. The tabs were woven on extended bi-color twisted warp yarns. The outlining of the design is made in some areas by wrapping the colored weft yarns around a single warp. Small open slits between design areas are a feature of this finely woven garment. The high-quality camelid yearns give it a silky sheen.