This exhibition presents a selection of textiles from the Andes, all of which are the work of anonymous artists dating from 400 BC to 1500 AD. Despite their great age they have been beautifully preserved, due to the favourable conditions in the dry coastal areas and the high esteem in which textiles were held by Andean peoples.
Although interesting from a sociological or archaeological point of view, the textiles here are presented for their aesthetic value. The artists in the exhibition drew on a two thousand year long continuing tradition but were quite oblivious to the possibility of conveying anything to us closely tied in to the ancient Andean world view with many representations of deities and elements from the natural world. Perhaps the most arresting in the repertoire of their motifs are the zoomorphic which often combine the attributes of human and animal characteristics.
This exhibition presents a selection of textiles from the Andes, all of which are the work of anonymous artists dating from 400 BC to 1500 AD. Despite their great age they have been beautifully preserved, due to the favourable conditions in the dry coastal areas and the high esteem in which textiles were held by Andean peoples.
Although interesting from a sociological or archaeological point of view, the textiles here are presented for their aesthetic value. The artists in the exhibition drew on a two thousand year long continuing tradition but were quite oblivious to the possibility of conveying anything to us closely tied in to the ancient Andean world view with many representations of deities and elements from the natural world. Perhaps the most arresting in the repertoire of their motifs are the zoomorphic which often combine the attributes of human and animal characteristics.