Tapestry Fragment (700–1370s): Art, History and Details

Tapestry Fragment (700–1370s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The prominent figure with an elaborate headdress duplicated on this brightly colored fragment is known today as a “Lord,” a term that reveals uncertainty about his identity but confidence in his prestige. Whether a king or a deity, he was crucially important to the north coast Lambayeque (lahm-buy-YEK-kay) (Sicán) people, who often portrayed him in a wide range of media. The geometric motif that repeats in the nine central squares is unidentified.

Object facts

• Title: Tapestry Fragment
• Date: 700–1370s
• Culture: Peru, North Coast, Lambayeque (Sicán) people
• Type: Tapestry
• Technique: camelid fiber and cotton, tapestry weave
• Dimensions: Overall: 40 x 16.2 cm (15 3/4 x 6 3/8 in.); Mounted: 49.5 x 16.2 cm (19 1/2 x 6 3/8 in.)
• Collection: T - Pre-Columbian
• Department: Textiles
• Accession number: 1991.223

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.