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Headdress

Arts of the Americas

The Chimú kingdom, which dominated the northern and central coasts of present-day Peru from 1100 to 1470, produced a variety of high-status feathered garments and ornaments for the ruling elite, such as tabards (tunics open at the sides), pectorals, ear ornaments, and headdresses. The large quantity of feathered regalia indicates an active trading network with the distant tropical lowlands to make exotic feathers more readily available to skilled Chimú artisans.

Feathers were sewn or adhered to a woven cotton cloth that was then attached to a reed foundation. The checkerboard pattern, surrounding stepped-fret motifs, and abstracted human figures are classic Chimú designs.

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El reino Chimú, que dominó las partes norte y central de las costas del Perú moderno de 1100 a 1470, produjo una variedad de prendas de vestir con plumas de alto estatus para la élite dirigente, tales como tabardos (túnicas abiertas a los lados), pectorales, adornos para las orejas y tocados. La gran cantidad de vestimentas con plumas, indica había una activa red comercial con las distantes llanuras tropicales, con el fin de facilitar el acceso a plumas exóticas para los altamente cualificados artesanos Chimú.

Las plumas eran cosidas o adheridas a un pedazo de tela tejida de algodón, que luego era adherido a la base de junco. El diseño en forma de tablero de ajedrez, los motivos de greca escalonada alrededor y las figuras humanas en abstracción son diseños clásicos Chimú.
CULTURE Chimú
MEDIUM Cotton, hide, feathers, wood or reed
DATES 1100–1470 C.E.
PERIOD Late Intermediate Period
DIMENSIONS 5 1/8 x 8 1/4 x 8 1/4 in. (13 x 21 x 21 cm)  (show scale)
COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas
ACCESSION NUMBER 61.11a-b
CREDIT LINE Ella C. Woodward Memorial Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Headdress decorated with small colored feathers. Construction materials include hide, cotton, and reinforcements of wood or reeds. Object is moderately unstable in fair condition. Size: adult. Probable wearer: male or male? Plain weave, feather glued to hide (NK). Paired warp plain weave cotton ground (AR).
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
CAPTION Chimú. Headdress, 1100–1470 C.E. Cotton, hide, feathers, wood or reed, 5 1/8 x 8 1/4 x 8 1/4 in. (13 x 21 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Ella C. Woodward Memorial Fund, 61.11a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 61.11_PS2.jpg)
IMAGE overall, 61.11_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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Chimú. <em>Headdress</em>, 1100–1470 C.E. Cotton, hide, feathers, wood or reed, 5 1/8 x 8 1/4 x 8 1/4 in. (13 x 21 x 21 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Ella C. Woodward Memorial Fund, 61.11a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 61.11_PS2.jpg)