Panel 1000 - 1476

Curator: This incredible textile panel before us comes to us from the Lambayeque culture and was crafted sometime between 1000 and 1476. Editor: Well, it’s bold. Really pops, doesn't it? That field of red just vibrates. Curator: It's made using a mixed media approach, incorporating weaving, collage, and other fiber art techniques. What do you make of the repeating motifs? Editor: Immediately, I see power. Repetition can be hypnotic, almost ritualistic. We have these stylized figures, these human forms, interspersed with what look like avian figures...pelicans perhaps? It feels symbolic, deeply layered. Curator: Precisely. Birds, especially seabirds, held great significance for the Lambayeque people. They were seen as messengers between worlds, linking the terrestrial and the divine. The human figures, likely representing elite members of society, further underscore a hierarchical structure. Editor: So, each element functions like a visual key, unlocking stories of social status and spiritual beliefs? What about the way they are presented, these sort of rigid boxes that contain each figure, is that significant? Curator: It likely speaks to an emphasis on order and codified power, on the interconnectedness between people, animals, and cosmology. Textiles were incredibly valuable, and a piece like this would have been far more than decoration. This would have signified status, communicating complex information. Editor: There is such intricate detail, everything from geometric shapes to little rows of figures along the bottom. What does the text symbolize, do we know? Curator: Sadly, we have not translated any meanings within those geometric components. The base row figures are believed to represent attendants or ancestors and ground the main figures in the earthly realm. Editor: I imagine this panel hanging within a temple or adorning the garments of a powerful leader. I look at this and I am humbled. To think that with such simple tools this rich vision came to life! Curator: Agreed. Looking at this panel now, I'm struck again by the enduring power of symbols to transcend time. They were skilled artists but I can see these as maps, histories, prayers even. What a piece.