Peru, South Coast, Paracas (Cavernas) style / c. 300 BCE–200 CE
Mantle
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Mantle as textile (Peru, South Coast, Paracas (Cavernas) style · c. 300 BCE–200 CE).
The profusion and decoration of textiles in Paracas burials shows the value placed on cloth.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this textile as camelid fiber: plain weave with embroidery.
The museum's collection notes: Buried in shaft-tombs, or rectangular sunken chambers, the Paracas dead were wrapped in layers of cloth and accompanied by pottery, food, and other offerings. The dry environment of the Paracas Peninsula helped preserve many of these textiles, including richly ornamented garments buried with important individuals. This mantle, probably worn like a cloak, relates closely to the tunic (CMA 1946.227) and long headband (CMA 1946.228) due to their shared imagery. Its double-headed bird motifs— embroidered in vivid red, blue, yellow, and green yarns—likely had symbolic significance, although the specific meaning remains unknown.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtMantleOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.