This mantle would have been used by an adult male, as clothing or for ceremonial purposes, or for both. The dark blue plain weave field is composed of a horizontal camelid fiber warp and camelid fiber weft. The border is a horizontal cotton warp, with a cotton weft. Camelid fiber one-faced stem stitch curvilinear embroidery in dark blue, yellow, and green, brown, white, red, pink and yellow green is used to represent turning falcons that appear on the red border and the field. A band of one-faced cross looping extends around the outer edge of the border and the fringe (NK). There are 37 field figures and 31 border figures (one figure is missing in the border). From Mary Frame's notes: Although there is a 38cm area missing from one border, the color and symmetry pattern indicate only one figure is missing. There would have been 15 figures on each border originally, for a total of 69. There are two orientations in the borders and three in the field, including one aberrant orientation. Two figures in the bracket ends of the borders do not fit with the border alternation; two field figures between the brackets do not fit with the field alternation. The border with the missing section was probably slightly shorter than the field, just as the other border is. There are three variants of bird figures executed in dark blue, yellow and dark green. Two figures in the bracket ends of the borders do not fit with the border alternation; two field figures between the brackets do not fit with the field alteration. The eye, breast, wing and tail markings, which are rendered in precise details, are usual falcon attributes. The raptors are represented with backward bent necks, in a backward bent posture. From a wider study of the iconography, I suspect the back bent posture is associated with sacrifice and prey. A forward bent posture is usually associated with sacrificers and predators. Figures with falcon attributes are numerous among the embroideries and they usually appear to be at different stages in the transformation from mythical human to falcon. Conceivably, a falcon figure such as the one represented on this mantle might represent the end point in a transformation continuum. A small number of birds are shown with backward bent necks: BM 86.224.95 (ponchito) and TM 91.126 (border) show birds, possibly hawks or falcons, with necks bent so the head is entirely inverted. Other birds (MMS 33.149.102) and figures transforming toward becoming falcons (Sailor #10) also occur in a backward bent posture.

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

Size: adult; probable wearer: male. Plain weave with horizontal camelid fiber warp, camelid fiber weft and camelid fiber embroidery. The imagery consists of embroidered condors on the dark blue field and along the borders. The birds are rendered in colors of green-blue, dark blue and orange. Portions of the borders have fringes at their outer edge. From Mary Frame's notes: The fleshy carbuncle above the beak and the long flight feathers are distinctive features of condors. Other dominant traits are the outspread flying-wings depicted as if seen from below; the condors are shown as if swiveled to the side with the beak in profile. The border figures are unusual in being oriented transversely; they alternate up and down rather than left and right. This orientation is almost exclusively used for condors or humans with condor attributes (Boston Museum of Fine Art 16.342 and matching ponchito); very rarely for falcons (MfV Berlin 63321); and almost never for other figures. In the field, horizontal rows alternate laterally by pairs of rows rather than single rows, uncommon but not unique. The background of the border, with the subtle chevron pattern created by changing the diagonal S- and Z-slant of the stitching, is unusual. Other examples of Paracas textiles with condor figures oriented transversely show an elaborately attired human figure with condor wings outspread; the figure likely representing a mythic transformation to condor. This mantle stands out for its impeccable workmanship and completeness. Comparative examples with condors in this orientation are patterned in only one-half of the field.

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

Size: adult; probable wearer: male. Plain weave, with the field consisting of a horizontal camelid fiber warp and camelid fiber weft. The borders are woven with a horizontal cotton warp, cotton weft, and camelid fiber embroidery; one corner is missing. The mantle has a dark green background with a 24 centimeter fringed border on each side and small embroidered squares all over. It is decorated with a formalized animal motif in blue, green and yellow. Mary Frame's notes: Multiple feline figures are nested within the outline of "linear figures." The ears, tail, and arrangement of limbs and head are consistent with feline representations. Filler figures are cats, humans(?) and snakes. Cats also repeat in the interior border and on the looped seam cover. The number of figures on the mantle field is relatively large in comparison to other "linear" checkerboard mantles. Three other textiles in the Brooklyn Museum collection have figures that relate to those on 34.1554. This example is the most feline-like; 34.1541a,b and 47.13.2 are predominantly feline with some human attributes, and 34.1546 is a predominantly human figure with a few feline traits.

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund

Size: adult. Probable wearer: male. Field: cotton warp, cotton weft, plain weave. Borders: cotton warp, cotton weft with camelid fiber embroidery. The border foundation is very weak. A dark blue field with dark brown warps in the borders. The embroidery uses red for the border background, and green, yellow, and dark blue colors. According to Mary Frame, variants of this motif most often occur on turbans (head cloths). Some have feline or human heads, rather than snake heads. (See Anne Paul, Nawpa Pacha 20, pp. 41-60). On the border, the embroidered images of interlocked snakes with slanted bodies in an S- or Z-twist direction are analogous to the structures of cords. Filler figures of coiled snakes surround the interlocked figures.

This mantle would have been worn or used by an adult male. It is constructed of a plain weave dark blue horizontal camelid fiber warp and weft field and camelid fiber stem stitch, rectilinearly worked one-faced embroidery decorated red plain weave border. This textile has been reshaped in order to flatten it. Three corners have been slit and the fringe moved at one of them. In the lower left field, in order to cover the newly formed field's edge, the crossed looping was removed, the fringe freed, and restitched on the border edge (NK). From Mary Frame's notes: Color blocks in the field are based on the consistent coloration of two nested outlines of the serpentine body, and on the borders are based on the consistent coloration of three nested outlines. There is a symmetrical deviation on the border where in two cases the coloration of the nested outlines inside is reversed. The nested figures have snake bodies and human heads with cat filler figures; multiple figures are nested within the outline of "linear"' style figures. The total number of field figures equal 262 whole figures and 96 partial figures; the total number of textile figures is 268 whole figures and 108 partial figures. In the field, the colors line up as three monocolors on the Z diagonal. This mantle is exceptionally regular in its lay-out and color patterning. A singular deviation from the pattern occurs in the paired band on the right side of the field. One less figure is incorporated in each of the pair. The mantle also has more paired bands in the field than any other in the sample located so far. Two other mantles in the Brooklyn Museum collection have the same paired band format and the same figure (34.1552 and 32.106). A poncho (34.1582), two headbands (34.1597 and X2000.1032), and a mantle with a plain field (34.1551) also have the same figure. The main variations among this group are: the number of paired bands in the field, the number of colored outlines in border and field figures, the slant (S or Z) of the serpentine bodies, and the number and completeness of the color blocks. The border figures are Z-slanted and the field figures are S-slanted. The number, color and slant attributes of the repeating figures can also be applied to the structure of cords, which the interlocked figures resemble. See "The Visual Images of Fabric Structures in Ancient Peruvian Art" by Mary Frame (The Junius B. Bird Conference on Andean Textiles, April 7th and 8th, 1984, ed. Ann Pollard Rowe, pp. 47-80. Washington, D.C.: Textile Museum, 1886) for a discussion of imagery related to the structures of cloth and cords. Most "linear" embroideries of this type have a dark blue field with predominantly red embroidery. A smaller number have a different color scheme. Similar textiles may be found in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia y Arqueologia de Lima, and they are a headband from bundle (401); a skirt (421-49); a mantle (421-4) and a poncho (421-44); in the collection of the United Nations, New York; and in the Boston Museum of Art (1972.353).

Size: adult; probable wearer: undetermined or male? The textile is woven with a vertical cotton warp and a cotton weft and decorated with camelid fiber embroidery. The remnants of the field and panel are a dark brown plain weave. Decorative embroidery in red, green blue, yellow, khaki and undyed beige runs down a panel at the center of the textile and on four L-shaped corner borders. The missing field cloth may or may not have had an overall pattern. Two sides of the central panel and the inner side of the corner borders have a rick-rack-like border. Mary Frame has noted that the style of this mantle is Paracas Necropolis "block color," with a panel and border design of alternating human figures rendered in blues, browns and yellows; each figure has either a swollen or dented chest. Serpentine streamers ending in animal heads emanate from the figures, which also wear elaborate garments and ornaments including short tunics, arm and leg bands, spondylous shell pendants, and gold head ornaments with danglers in front of the ears. The figures also carry what are probably ceremonial fans. A complete series of figures is visible on the central panel.

Alfred W. Jenkins Fund