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Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru
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Tabard
Chimú 15th–16th century
Cotton, feathers; 27 x 27 in. (68.6 x 68.6 cm)
Private collection
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Accurate identification of bird feathers requires careful study of the shape, size, structure, color, and texture. Some feathers—for instance, the one-inch-long bright golden yellow body feathers of the Blue-and-yellow Macaw or the tiny chartreuse head feathers of the Paradise Tanager—are unique and, therefore, easily recognizable. Others—for instance, red, blue, white, black, and green feathers—could have come from a number of different birds.
The row of longer wing or tail feathers along the bottom of this garment is thought to indicate its manufacture in the last fifty years before the Spanish conquest. Many of the feathers were cut to create the images. The unnatural color of the feathers at the bottom—sulphur yellow with an area of red or pink on either side of the shaft—was obtained by a process known as tapirage.
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