Fragment (Loincloth) Possibly 1250 - 1470

Curator: Ah, this Fragment, titled Loincloth. Created, likely, between 1250 and 1470 by the Chimú people, held in the Art Institute of Chicago. What's your take on it? Editor: My first thought? Organized chaos! Those repeated figures are quirky, almost cartoonish, but there's also this incredibly tight grid structure holding it all together. The dark red backdrop intensifies everything. I like it. Curator: It's intriguing, isn't it? Textiles, weaving specifically, were not just crafts, they were significant cultural markers, particularly in pre-Columbian societies. Think about the complex skills required, the time invested... and the statements made. Editor: Absolutely! I always see textiles as communication devices. Each color, each pattern— deliberate choices by the weaver. With these bold figures…what could they symbolize? Gods? Ancestors? Curator: It's tricky. The Chimú were eventually absorbed by the Inca, so separating distinctly Chimú visual language from later influences can be difficult. What is consistent is how rulers used textiles. Maintaining specialized weaving workshops were one method of establishing and growing influence. This probably isn't something your average peasant was wearing. Editor: That really shifts my perception. Suddenly the ‘organized chaos’ becomes more controlled, more about status and power. And that repetition. The figures look so uniform—yet each seems slightly different. Curator: Exactly. You see these little shifts and permutations in their facial expressions? Were they individuals the artists know? Maybe. Editor: Well, either way I'm hooked. The interplay between repetition and variation keeps my eyes dancing across its surface! Curator: Its really incredible to see how artists work within very specific confines yet manage to communicate so much depth and personality in these very intricate structures. Editor: I'll say. Considering the hands involved here makes this even more thought-provoking. So glad we stopped.