Sampler (1 CE-200 CE): Artwork and History

Sampler (1 CE-200 CE) is in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. The museum lists its creator attribution as Nasca Coyunga, Nazca Valley, South coast, Peru.

The work and its context

The Art Institute of Chicago describes the work:

Images of birds are often presented in polychrome ceramics and textiles created by Nazca artists. the birds depicted in this panel are delicately rendered in white outlining and colored highlights, with embroidery reminiscent of earlier Paracas needlework. In their beaks, they carry various flora along with crustaceans, fish, insects, snakes, spiders, and worms. The design may have deeper meaning, using the food chain as a metaphor for transformation. There is a group of several similar examples of embroidered birds of Nazca origin, often referred to as samplers. Some scholars theorize that these works relate to a specific workshop or are evidence of strict guidelines and regulations for production.

Object facts

• Title: Sampler
• Date: 1 CE-200 CE
• Artist attribution: Nasca Coyunga, Nazca Valley, South coast, Peru
• Place of origin: Peru
• Medium: Cotton, plain weave; embroidered with cotton and wool (camelid) in back, cross, double running, running, satin, and stem stitches
• Dimensions: 60 × 37.8 cm (23 5/8 × 14 7/8 in.)
• Type: Textile
• Department: Textiles
• Reference number: 1956.75

Collection credit

Purchased with funds provided by Mrs. Edwin A. Seipp

View the original

Explore the artwork in the Art Institute's collection, including its image and the museum's current catalogue details.

The description above is credited to the Art Institute of Chicago and reused under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0; HTML formatting has been converted to plain text. Other catalogue metadata and the public-domain image are provided under CC0 1.0.