Fragment 750 - 1100

This textile fragment was created by an artist from the Chancay culture. The tightly woven, predominantly red fabric immediately presents a structured grid, filled with symmetrical figures. Notice how the design is bisected vertically. This division creates a mirrored effect, where similar yet distinct motifs confront each other across the central axis. These motifs, featuring stylized creatures, suggest a deeper symbolic language. The color palette is intentionally restrained, with earth tones accentuating the red ground. This not only creates visual harmony, but also emphasizes the texture and materiality of the textile itself. The structured composition invites us to consider the Chancay artist's engagement with duality and balance. The textile functions as a structured field of signs, inviting us to decode its cultural meanings. The grid-like structure of the weave itself suggests a cosmos, a structured world where order and symmetry prevail. This fragment is not just a piece of cloth, but a complex artifact that encodes aspects of Chancay cosmology and social structure.