Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Border Fragment

450–175 BCE
Not on view
The textiles of ancient Peru were made by a people with an inordinate sensitivity to the complexities of structure, pattern, and color. Fortunately preserved through the centuries by the dry climate of the coastal region where they were interred, the fabrics retain much of this complexity today. Textiles discovered in the necropolis of Wari Kayan on the Paracas Peninsula in the early part of the century are particularly striking. Encompassing a wide range of garment type, they exhibit rich colors imaginatively combined, and compelling designs and imagery. This fragment of a border from an embroidered mantle depicts two backbent figures that alternate position and share but do not alternate color schemes. Thought to represent the same skeletonized figure, they have been variously described as falling, floating, flying, dancing, and drowning.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Border Fragment
  • Date: 450–175 BCE
  • Geography: Peru
  • Culture: Paracas
  • Medium: Cotton, camelid hair
  • Dimensions: H. 6 3/4 x W. 41 3/8 in. (17.1 x 105.1cm)
  • Classification: Textiles-Woven
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Arthur M. Bullowa, 1993
  • Object Number: 1994.35.120
  • Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Bowl, Ceramic, post-fired paint, Paracas
Bowl
Paracas
3rd century BCE
Bowl with zoomorphic motifs, Paracas artist(s), Ceramic, post-fire paint, Paracas
Bowl with zoomorphic motifs
Paracas artist(s)
350–200 BCE
Tapestry Border Fragment with Tab Fringes, Camelid hair, cotton, Chancay
Tapestry Border Fragment with Tab Fringes
Chancay
12th–14th century
Nose ornament, Salinar artist(s), Gold, silver, Salinar (?)
Nose ornament
Salinar artist(s)
500–100 BCE
Border Fragment, Camelid hair, cotton, Nasca
Border Fragment
Nasca
2nd century BCE

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.