Shirt

Item number Sf883 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

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Data
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Description

Large padded shirt with sleeves; medium brown with deep borders and stepped yoke brocaded in several shades of yellow, red, brown with accents of white, black and green. Layered fringes on lower and sleeve edges as well as yoke. Major motif is a seated, zoomorphic figure with headdress and a staff which is repeated in all brocaded areas; bordered by a symmetrical series of stripes including a wider red stripe with profile birds in many colours. Shirt is entirely lined with light brown cotton, sandwiching a cotton batting throughout. One large hole and considerable discolouration from organic deterioration. S-spun single warps (cotton); s and z-spun wefts (cotton); z-spun, 2 plied s (camelid-alpaca ?).

History Of Use

The immense size of this shirt and the localized deterioration indicate this shirt was made for and used on a mummy bundle. Sets of large size garments, including loincloth, tunic, hat and mantle, are known from several north coast sources Rowe). The technical data (single spun paired warps, multiple fringes, brocaded with tie-downs in alternate alignment) are all consistent with north coast textile practice Rowe).

Iconographic Meaning

Monkey-like creature has the sun burst headdress found on deity representations from the north and far north coast. The stacked triangles terminating the tail are standard in Chimu art (Rowe).