The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Special Exhibitions: Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru

Radiance from the Rain Forest: Featherwork in Ancient Peru

		Miniature Family Group Nasca; 1st–3rd century Cotton, wool, hair, feathers; H. 4 in. (10.2 cm) Private collection See an alternate view of the female figure's wig.

The Nasca people of the south coast were one of only a few groups in ancient Peru that made textile figurines. This family group is exceedingly rare; only three other groups are known. Displaying a number of different weaving techniques, these charming works testify to the extraordinary skill and ingenuity achieved by ancient textiles artists. The bodies of the figures are plain weave stuffed with raw cotton; toes and fingers—with red nails—are worked in cross-knit loop embroidery; facial features are embroidered in stem stitch; and the garment worn by the tiniest figure is plain weave with discontinuous warps and wefts. The "parents" have clearly indicated genitalia worked in cross-knit looping and wear long vertically striped gowns. The male figure’s shirt has an indigo yoke embellished with a multicolored necklace and an animal pendant. All three wear wigs of human hair with braids to which small green and yellow feathers, probably of parrots, are tied.