This paper examines the iconography of a group of pre-Columbian Andean woven textiles that, under the cloak of apparent heterogeneity, often hides a common thematic structure. It was widespread among pre-Columbian societies of the coast to individualise their art by applying thematic variations to the images they painted on cotton textiles: graphic compositions of a standing figure surrounded by a symmetrical arrangement of monkeys, felines and birds. Used as funerary shrouds to enclose the…

Covering two hundred years of European and American fabric design from the late 18th to the late 20th century, this is the encyclopedia of textile designs.

Explore justsmartdesign's 7842 photos on Flickr!

Very wide woven sash from Bolivia -- possibly from Cochabamba. Purchased from James and Kevin at Arte de la Vida in Tucson

Chimu Textiles

Embroidery is deeply entrenched in South American history, spanning from ancient times all the way up to the present day. Its history is fascinatingly diverse, demonstrating the great skill and ingenuity that has been passed on from one generation to the next through the millennia. Over the centuries, South American embroidery has evolved into a...

ABOUT US

Textiles created by South, Central and North American Indigenous groups make up nearly half of The Textile Museum Collection.

Mannequins dressed in Peruvian clothing from the Cuzco region of Peru. Museum of International Folk Art. Santa Fe, NM