Tapestry

Tapestries, rugs, and rich fabrics were among the most valuable goods in early colonial households, second only to jewels and precious objects in gold and silver. The private market for these textiles was stimulated once Europeans realized such works’ importance in pre-Columbian cultures.

The sixteenth-century Peruvian tapestry at the left features both European and indigenous motifs, including a spotted dog (a symbol of the Dominican order) in the central field and animals from the Peruvian ornamental repertoire, such as snakes, viscachas (Andean rodents), rabbits, and birds. Native and non-native motifs were also combined in later colonial examples, such as the tapestry at the right from Cajamarca with a mermaid, a European element that was very popular in Peru, surrounded by Andean animals.