8 



TEXTIL.:: FABRICS OF ANCIENT PERU. 



somewhat like that of a fish, has au incision at the mouth, and is notched 

 and perforated at the neck. It may have been used in netting or in 

 managing the threads in weaving. Tlie remaining iigu.res ilhistrate 

 varieties of spindles and si)indle-like implements, some of which are 

 neatly carved and painted. 



A a ' 



m 



Fig. 3. — Series of implements, most of which were probably used in textile work. 



The textile products of the Peruvians included a wide range of arti- 

 cles and utensils. So far as the relics show, the great body of the finer 

 textiles consisted of wearing apparel. 



For the head there were caps, richly colored bauds, and pendent orna- 

 ments. For the body there were mantles, shirts, girdles, sashes, and a 

 variety of wraps; all of which had elaborate ornamental figures woven 

 in, and many were furnished with a profusion of textile appendages. 

 For the feet, sandals of various kinds were braided. Besides these 

 there were probably blankets, hangings for the doors and walls, and a 

 variety of tissues employed in sheltering from the sun and elements. 

 There were ceremonial fabrics and strange banners to accompany the 

 dead. For use in the various arts there were mats, baskets, bags, slings, 

 nets, and other articles in great variety. All are purely American in 

 character, having apparently no suggestion of Spanish or other foreign 

 influence. 



Many of these articles were woven in their entirety, but it was cus- 

 tomary to weave a garment in parts which were afterwards stitched 

 together. There was no cutting and fitting. Goods were not woven 

 "by the yard," as we would express it. 



A very large percentage of the articles forwarded to our museums are 

 embellished with designs woven in the fabric or added as a surface 

 finish. Many cloths were woven with a view to ordinary use and were 



