Nazca Culture 100 BC-800 AD
61 x 42,1 in
USA
Further images
Of universal appeal and unique beauty, feathers have for thousands of years been used by people in all parts of the Andeas to adorn themselves and to animate their environment. Among traditional societies, garments and other objects embellished with feathers also have great cultural value and are imbued with spiritual energy and supernatural force.
From an aesthetic point of view, Andean feathers works speak more eloquently for themselves than a thousand words. It should, however, be pointed out that their sacredness was not a function of their rarity but rather, by association with the Celestial messenger, the Condor —Eagle, the wearer shared the supernatural powers of this divine intercessor, guide of the souls to the mystical realm of light.
Publications
James Reid, Magic Feathers: Textile Art from Ancient Peru. p. 267James W. Reid, Pre-Columbian Peruvian Textiles: The First Modern Art, 2008, Editorial Industria Textil Piura S.A., page 248
Textile & Art Publications (1 Jan. 2005)