Rare and Important Chimu Painted Textile panel, Late Intermediate Period, ca. A.D. 900-1150

depicting an elite figure as a prisoner within the confines of a formal structure, the plain weave cotton panel painted with a densely ordered concentric pattern, the large naked male figure standing in the inner courtyard with one arm raised, a rope around his neck trailing at the back, the earlobes pierced and mass of hair swept upward, surrounded by a field of twenty-eight smaller naked prisoners in a profile procession, each with neck wrapped with a rope, the double walls separating the encircling band of fifty-seven mice, the next corridor enclosing double-headed serpents, the outer perimeter with a procession of forty-six prisoners, the bottom row of figures shown in a flared skirt or trunks (and lacking the exposed phallus indicating male figures prior to disrobing, or possibly females); in bright shades of brown, ocher, green and blue.

Galerie Fischer,  Luzerne, Sammlung Alt-Peru und Antiken -Sammlung, auction catalogue November 27, 1956, lot 153, illus.

Acquired from the above

 

Alan Lapiner, Pre-Columbian Art of South America, New York, 1976, colorplate 633

Overall excellent condition, this panel was kept in out of the light, colors are very strong. there are no tears or repairs. Selvedged top and bottom, sides are cut as it was part of longer piece , as noted.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

"No political, military, social or religious event was complete without textiles volunteered or bestowed, burned exchanged or sacrificed." (Murra 1989:293 in Boytner 2006).

This remarkably vibrant cotton textile is part of the series known as the "Chimu Prisoner Textile", studied and documented by Junius Bird of the American Museum of Natural History in the early 1960's (Lapiner 1976:figs. 627-646). It is a graphic depiction of the ritual procession of prisoners and important individuals within ceremonial inner patios and courtyards of important buildings. The complete textile was made as a large temple wall hanging which Bird hypothesized was originally approximately 105 ft. long by 6 ft. wide, although it was recently suggested the complete fabric may be shorter in length (N. Porter, personal communication).

Textiles were used throughout the Andean world as one of the key ceremonial mediums to display status, territorial affiliation, power and most importantly to communicate religious ideas and cult imagery. The huge cloth from Cahuachi (ca. AD 0-650), estimated to be 50-60 meters long, " ..'the largest single piece of cloth ever woven in the Western Hemisphere.." (Phipps 1996:111), clearly established the tradition of creating oversized ritual textiles.
While the sophisticated weaving techniques are complex and time-consuming, fabric is, ultimately, one of  the most convenient and portable means of communication.
The woven fragments of the Early Horizon contained imagery of religious and mythical significance. They were probably reserved for use in the inner sanctum of religious structures by priests or selected rulers. By Moche times, defining social/political divisions, particularly showing ruler/conquerer vs. subordinate/prisoner relations, was shown on various mediums in more public areas such as wall painting and architectural friezes. The Moche site of Huaca Cao Viejo, has the remarkable frieze of over-life size naked male captives lining the walls of courtyards (Quilter 2001: 33). The tradition of recording prisoner processions, of either ritual or actual warfare was firmly established by the Middle Horizon. Conceivably, the Prisoner Textile was a type of  temporary 'scaffold' while larger architectural constructs were being made. The remarkable condition of many of the panels suggests it was used only on ceremonial occasions.

The concise design of the panels works as an artistic convention to reinforce the importance of martial order, uniformity, and subjugation. The only random patterning occurs within the courtyards, some showing graphic depictions of the prisoners demise. The panels show a consistent display of one of two types of figures, each panel has either one to three large central figures each with ropes at the neck, their coiffures are either still intact falling to one side, or frayed into plaits, the eyes are either Sican- style comma- shaped, or circular, and ears are either shown with pendant earrings or pierced lobes. Each panel shows a large central courtyard encircled by double walls with mice or rodents in profile in a clockwise direction, with some panels showing felines flanking a frontal figure, the next and outermost corridor always contains S-curve double snakes. Outside the walled structures, the top and bottom edges both show the figures marching left, but the bottom row contains distinctly either female figures, or more, likely clothed male figures. The vertical figures consistently march upward in left facing profile.

The technical analysis of the textile by Bird notes,  "The basic fabric, actually two strips seamed together lengthwise, was especially woven for this purpose. Loom widths differ by about 3 ½ in. ....The material is of cotton with warp and weft yarns identical, S-spun singles handled as pairs... The colors apparently are dyes rather than pigments.." (Lapiner 1976: 448, note to fig. 646).

 The brilliant color pigments are precisely calibrated to saturate the fabric without bleeding on the reverse. Most figures show some outlining with subsequent filling-in of the selected color. There is a mix of precise and loose hand painting.

Boytner (2006) conducted a dye anaylsis on textiles from Pacatnamu associated with the Late Intermediate (AD 1100-1400). Dyes included indigo available from a number of plant species, yellow similarly from as many as fifteen different plant species, green made from mixing indigo and the yellow dye, and red created from five possible sources with the preferred source being cochineal. 

The twenty existing square panels comprise thirteen sections (some are double panels), of which all but one (in unknown location) are currently in the following public institutions, Musée Quai Branly, Paris; Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History; The Menil Collection, Houston; Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University; Museum für Völkerkunde Hamburg;  Textile Museum, Washington, DC; Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam; and the American Museum of Natural History, New York. There are also two sections of a related painted textile with marine birds and fish, one at The Textile Museum (91.742), see Bird (1973 Peruvian Paintings by Unknown Artsists,800 BC-1700AD).
Only a few of the Prisoner panels have been studied since their discovery. The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University dated their double panel (Acc. 52-30-30/7349) with the unpublished results Cal AD 1200-1290 (Cal BP 750-660, Beta Analytic Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, Beta 204264). The Musée Quai Branly has recently reinstalled their panel, and have conducted dye analysis in conjunction with the British Museum.
The double panel in Hamburg was published in Schätze der Anden, Museum für Völkerkunde, 2006. Prümers (2006:72-85) notes the panel as a Central coast piece of the later Intermediate period, but shows influence from the North coast, as seen in the shape of the eyes, and the style of 'nightcap' turbans. It is suggested the textile was commissioned from a locale in the Central coast but painted by a northern artist. The use of migrating artists is documented in the later colonial period, where the artists petitioned to work in other areas.