Woman's Mantle (Primary Title)
Clothe (Former Title)
Unknown (Artist)
In the Andes, textiles were one of the most highly prized art forms. Clothing communicated a person’s origin or their societal role. This mantle from the Inka period is a typical shawl-like garment worn by women over a belted wrap-around dress. Textiles were so important to the Inka that they designated a special group of women to do the weaving. During the Colonial period, which began in the mid-16th century, Inka-style clothing continued to be worn by indigenous person as a symbol of Inka heritage.
The weaving and wearing of traditional garments, such as the mantle shown here, continues today. The design of this mantle reflects the traditional composition of a woman’s mantle divided into two halves. Each half includes an undecorated region juxtaposed with a patterned section. These complementary areas represent chaos and order of the Inka world.
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