Poncho; Nazca Culture, Peru, 200-600 AD.

Poncho; Nazca Culture, Peru, 200-600 AD.
Polychrome textile made of natural fibers.
It shows slight damage and wear.
Measurements: 215 x 134 cm.
Poncho of great size with staggered drawing in zigzag, alternating black, purple, red and cream. It has an opening in the center for the dignitary's head and yellow bangs on the front and back. In ancient Peru the main materials used for spinning and weaving were cotton and wool, from alpaca and vicuña. They were used in their natural colors, white and brown, and were also dyed with mineral, vegetable and animal dyes. It was spun by means of a spindle, and woven by means of backstrap looms or rigid horizontal looms.
The Nazca culture developed in Peru in the valleys of the current department of Ica, between the first and seventh centuries, and had its main center in Cahuachi. Its pottery is one of the best considered of ancient Peru, both for its quality and its variety. The Nazca used a peculiar technique, which consisted of painting the entire surface of the vessel before firing, with polychrome pigments applied in up to eleven color gradations, with a wide variety of shades. Most Nazca vessels have a globular belly with two spouts and a bridging handle.